Is Marijuana a gateway drug? (unemployed, illegal, heroin, drugs)

[Rocko20]

Anti-marijuana folks seem to point to this argument. But what do the studies say:

Despite anti-drug education campaigns which state marijuana is a gateway for harder drug use, new research from the University of New Hampshire says for most people that's not true.

But pot does serves as a "gateway," says Dr. Karen Van Gund, associate professor of sociology., mainly for young people who are poor, unemployed, and subjected to severe psychological stress.

In other words, the path to other drugs is not necessarily the pot, but rather the potholes young people encounter on the road.

https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/mar...up-in-smoke/2/

Interesting. So marijuana itself is not a gateway drug but rather those in high risk socioeconomic environments might use it as a gateway

I say we legalize it, regulate it, and tax it. Like alcohol, it can be enjoyed responsibly.

[Thoreau424]

Some say no, some say yes. I'd go with the first, but ultimately don't care.

This is one of those hopelessly inconclusive topics that can't be agreed on or nailed down.

[jburress]

I don't think it's a gateway drug anymore than milk is.

If anything, it's the dealers who are the gateway to hard(er) substances.

[notrhj]

Some are satisfied with their 420 high
Some are not
For those that move on to something bigger or better....it’s a gateway.

[usayit]

Originally Posted by jburress

If anything, it's the dealers who are the gateway to hard(er) substances.

This! The dealers I know (of..) rarely just sell pot.

I haven't seen a correlation between people with pot habits versus "other harder" habits. One could almost say that alcohol is the common denominator since we almost all drink.

[MLSFan]

Originally Posted by jburress

I don't think it's a gateway drug anymore than milk is.

If anything, it's the dealers who are the gateway to hard(er) substances.

Its a gateway drug, sellers have other drugs for sell too. Marijuana introduces them to the dealers

[Thoreau424]

If it's a gateway, Americans are using their freedom of choice to pass through it. Discussion, pro and con, won't change that.

[jburress]

Originally Posted by usayit

This! The dealers I know (of..) rarely just sell pot.

I haven't seen a correlation between people with pot habits versus "other harder" habits. One could almost say that alcohol is the common denominator since we almost all drink.

I used to buy weed in high school from a few dealers (basically whoever had any to sell) and never thought of buying anything else until you met one who had acid (only 5 bucks per tab!) or another who had ecstasy (it's awesome! Better buy it quick, though, because I only have a few!) etc...

I agree with you 100%. The dealers are the true gateway.

[Sydney123]

It's a gateway drug.... to Twinkies!

[Willamette City]

Originally Posted by MLSFan

Its a gateway drug, sellers have other drugs for sell too. Marijuana introduces them to the dealers

That might be true in some States, but my experience in Oregon is it's not. Even before it was legal, the sellers I dealt with only sold pot and pot products, not Meth, Coke, Heroin, pills, etc. Those are hard drugs, pot is not a hard drug.



Now that it's legal, what dispensary would also sell illegal drugs? None that I know of.