Marijuana: Why is it a Gateway Drug?

Question

Why is marijuana a gateway drug? Is it because it opens people up to breaking the law? If so would it be a gateway drug if it were legal? How about underaged drinking/smoking, are they similar gateways, or are they not because they later become legal?

Is it because it opens people up to using other drugs, legal or not, and they seek another high?

Is it sort of a broken barrier drug, the drug people who use drugs start with, that if you can avoid, they probably won't take drugs?

Or is it not a gateway drug at all?

Answer 1

The only true gateway drugs in America are nicotine and alcohol. They also happen to be the drugs that kill more people than all other drugs combined, funny that they are still legal! Example: Average deaths in a year-
Alcohol overdose: 5,000
Nicotine related cancers: 430,000

In the history of recorded medicine-
deaths attributed to marijuana overdose or TCH related cancers.................Zero, 0, none!!!!

Answer 2

Marijuana is a labeled a gateway drug because research has shown that people that have used marijuana are more likely to use harder drugs than someone who has never tried marijuana. The same applies to underaged drinking being a gateway drug.

Answer 3

It is not a gateway drug. The true gateway drugs are alcohol and tobacco. Most people who smoke marijuana never go on to use more harmful illegal drugs. The term gateway drug I think was meant to say " the drug most used first", and that cant be marijuana, as more people smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol.

Answer 4

I'd say the real reason that it is a gateway drug is because, as children and teens, we are told it is so awful, you'll become an idiot, addicted, it is scary, yadayadayada... and then you come to the age where you try it, find out it really isn't that big of a deal and start to wonder if "they" exaggerated about crack or heroin too. (Which is not the case.)

I'm not against drug education, but just reasonable and logical education. (Did you ever see the commercial where the kid shoots his friend because he had one toke and thought it'd be funny...c'mon!).

It's a boy who cried wolf scenario happening here.

Answer 5

You've made some excellent points.

When I was involved with the local rehab center, I can't remember how many times I heard people who were hard, down and out drug addicts continue to support marijuana because it is "harmless", "no worse than alcohol", "should be legal" and, I swear this is true - one fellow who actually told me that when his kid was old enough and wanted to try marijuana, he would have no problem with that!

These words from people who had finally reached bottom - most were unemployed, dirt poor, referred by a judge or brought in by the police or their families.

For the vast majority, their drug journey began with marijuana - plain and simple.
When the high wore off and it wasn't readily available, it became various pills, crack cocaine, and so forth.

It is my opinion that if this drug were made legal, its abuse would be out of control - and would escalate to even more people using more potent and illegal drugs.

When lab rats are given the choice between marijuana and food, they keep going back to the marijuana trough until they starve to death!

Think about it...consider the overwhelming number of people in this country that can't even use alcohol responsibly - DUIs, domestic violence, alcohol related traffic fatalities, assaults, criminal activities, loss work production, etc...etc......

We don't really need to add another log on that fire, do we?

Answer 6

It introduces them to people who can purchase hard drugs for them mainly, other than that it has no physical influence on making the decision to go to harder drugs.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

Because people who use it are more likely to try harder drugs.