Marijuana: Gateway Drug?

The other day, I was speaking to an older gentleman about the use of cannabis by young people. His opinion was one that I come across quite often: If youths are allowed to smoke marijuana, what stops them from experimenting with other drugs, such as heroin or cocaine, that (unlike marijuana) can result in permanent, if not fatal, damage to the user? (this kind of thinking is what causes marijuana to be called the “Gateway Drug”)

Here’s what I told this person, and what I think you should tell anyone who thinks that using marijuana would lead people to try using life-threatening drugs such as heroin and cocaine.

1. While scientists have long held the “gateway drug” theory to be erroneous, a study at the University of Pittsburgh in December 2006 proved that “the likelihood that someone will transition to the use of illegal drugs is determined not by the preceding use of a particular drug, but instead by the user’s individual tendencies and environmental circumstances. The use of marijuana is no more an indicator of further drug use than cigarettes, chocolate or coffee.

Teens that use cannabis may function better than teen tobacco-users, and appear to be more socially driven and have fewer psychosocial problems than those who do not use either substance, according to a Swiss survey.

Researchers at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland surveyed 5,263 students, including 455 who smoke marijuana only, 1,703 who smoke marijuana and tobacco and 3,105 who smoked neither one.

The survey, which will be published in the November issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, found that marijuana-only smokers had better relationships with friends, better grades and were more likely to play sports than teens who smoked tobacco and those who abstained from both substances.

A U.S. substance abuse expert disagreed with the study and said U.S. teens should not be encouraged to use marijuana, particularly since teenagers’ brains are still developing at this time.

“Switzerland is very liberal compared to us in many ways,” Dr. Edwin Salsitz, senior physician of chemical dependency at Beth Israel Medical Center. “In general, it’s not a good idea for teenagers to use psychoactive drugs. The brain is still developing until the age of 21.

“Maybe (there’s) a cultural bias there that says it’s ok to use marijuana once or twice a month,” he continued “But from what I know, I’ve never heard that anyone thought it was beneficial. Most experts here would say that it’s not a good idea to use cannabis before the age of 15, because it interferes with school and the development of brain.”

It's 2010 lets face the facts marijuana is HARMLESS RELAX! See Bill Hicks comedy post for more details on this topic.

By Liam Harkin
Edited By Jo Anne-Patricia @MzFilterless
Follow the BlogBot @JoJoSaidIt