The use of marijuana has always
come with the warning that it is a gateway drug. By saying this, people often mean that if you use marijuana,
the chances of you using harder drugs such as cocaine or heroin increases
drastically. Now, with many states
changing their laws on the use and sale of marijuana studies have been done to
disprove this theory. Scientists
are constantly studying the effects and benefits of the use of the drug
medicinally.
The
gateway drug theory has been based off of a few points. First, marijuana users are more likely
to progress to harder drugs than nonusers. Second, Almost all people that have used hard drugs started
with marijuana. Lastly, the greater frequency of use, the greater chance of
using hard drugs later. Although
all of these seem probable, new studies show that those who use drugs may have
an underlying propensity to do so and it’s not specific to only one drug. Also, it is stated that marijuana use
starts first because it is much easier to obtain than harder drugs at a younger
age.
Though
the studies do support the gateway drug theory, it also supports the opposite
as well. These other factors of
how marijuana is easier to obtain and a person’s personal propensity to use
drugs are not taken into account. It is studies like these that are going to
help change our laws concerning the use of marijuana and, although taking baby
steps, we are moving closer to decriminalizing and even possibly legalizing the
drug.
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