Is marijuana a gateway drug?

As much or little as alcohol and nicotine.

No, it’s a complete myth.

Some teens buy marijuana from sketchy drug dealers, and some of them use harder drugs because of the people they encounter along the way. It’s not the actual marijuana that makes people use harder drugs.

If marijuana is legalized and regulated, this problem will most definitely go away.

Also, marijuana users just tend to move on to LSD – and that’s not even a hard drug.

Just for grins, I did a Google search. On the first page, the results were almost equally divided between yes and no. I didn’t click on each link, so I am basing this on the quick overview that comes with any Google search.

Anecdotally, my experience with friends who have used marijuana is equally divided. Some moved on to try hallucinogenics and cocaine, others didn’t.

It can be seen as a gateway drug, but psychologically.
There is nothing about it which would lead to opiates, or any street dopes. People who use weed then go on to other things were headed that direction anyway. They start with mj because it is readily available, and for the most part non frightening. Having lived through it, those so inclined move in to other ideas.
I smoked weed myself, long long ago. I found it relaxing, and it helped tremendously with my Tinitis but I had no desire to move on to anything else. I had friends who tried hard to convince me to try this or that crazy dopes. I was’t interested.
When I knew I was ready to move on with life, and take my chances the ringing would stay light, I quit, and without withdrawal or regret.

Thanks @everyone

By the way, what happens when you click on “Great Answer”? What are you on desktop computer, on whcih version desktop or mobile? Smartphone? tablet?

It jumps to the top of the page. I imagine it is tied in with the other problems they are working on.

And how about starting with the @ in this space? No list of people on the thread?

I know a tremendous number of people who have used drugs of various sorts from mild marijuana to hardcore opiates and meth addicts. If anything can be considered a gateway drug, it is alcohol, primarily beer. More addicts started with beer than any other single substance.

The concept of “gateway” drug isn’t really demonstrated. People prone to substance abuse don’t “progress” on a path, they generally just try anything that is available. And some just continue using something a bit stronger.

It can be, doesn’t have to be. Like alcohol, tobacco, Kool-Ade, milk, ...

Nope. Marijuana in and of itself isn’t addicting or proven to be harmful. Of course, depending on how you look at it you can technically get addicted to anything. But most AODA stuff just scare kids with false facts and half truths about drugs instead of educating. Don’t constantly tell kids not to do drugs explain the effects and educate them fully on it.

If a person ends up in prison for possession, or distribution, then yes. You meet lots of great people in prison. They teach people lots of great things.

No, bullshit from the 60’s. We turned to other things when they cut off our supply of Mexican Pot. So, from this, I have always assumed that the Federal Government was the Gateway Drug. Should have left us alone assholes.

Sure, just like sugar, alcohol, nicotine, cough syrup, model airplane glue…

@flo

Marijuana : Gardening

as

IQ tests :

a) Questions
b) Learning
c) Intelligence
d) Guessing

Once you cross the line and begin using illegal substances you are probably more likely to try other more deadly illegal substances which is one reason for legalising a comparatively harmless drug like marijuana.

No, only a small percentage of marijuana users go on to hard drugs.

Quite the opposite; many people who were resorting to opiates for pain relief or to get high find that they don’t need to do so anymore when they have access to marijuana. In many cases it’s actually helping people get off harder drugs.

Agree with @zenvelo Some people just will do anything, or try anything once. I know people addicted to different things, that would never do what other addicts do. Like alcoholics that would never huff gas, or potheads who would never touch alcohol. And foodaholics who would never do any illegal drugs.

Ok.
But what is the relevance if it is a gateway drug or not? If you get called for an emergency (for a major crisis or not) can I drive stoned or do construction stoned or do just about anything else stoned?

@flo. In those regards, it is functionally just about the same as alcohol, although people under the influence of alcohol are more aggressive than those who are high from marijuana.

Functionality of people while high on marijuana, is very subjective. A frequent user is only mildly effected by it. A rare, or first time user can inhale/ingest small amounts and be debilitated.

While tolerance is also a variable with alcohol, it has far more potential to effect a person’s functionality. In addition, alcohol can amplify the effects of many other drugs. Combined with many, it increases their lethality.

The soccer Mom on opioids having two glasses of wine, is more of a danger to society than the stoner delivering her pizza…

Probably shouldn’t be stoned during a medical emergency. Getting the giggles tends to upset people.

@zenvelo,
What is the difference people get injured or die etc., Violent or not…

@MrGrimm888 That sounds ver biaed. There is no need o compare which is worse. A pizza etc., deliverer can kill, injure if driving stoned.

Yeah. He probably won’t though. Drunks can…

There’s no such thing really. Only in the sense that to get it you generally have to associate with people who may offer you other drugs. I don’t think there’s anything about it medically which leads to other drugs, though. Gateway to other drugs? No. At least not for me. I’ve smoked weed for 7 years now and I don’t have any desire to do any other drug. I’m not curious about other drugs. I just like weed. I believe it is, but so are cigarettes and alcohol. Anything a child uses intentionally to produce a particular sensation is a gateway drug, if that child has an addictive personality. I don’t think so. People who move on from weed to other things were likely to go to those things anyway. Obviously they aren’t happy with their state of mind. Can’t blame weed for that. It is a a mind altering substance with some very nasty side effects for long term or heavy users.

Seeing how strongly weed affects me has scared me off the notion of ever so much as trying a harder drug.

Wow. What sort of effects have you experienced, @Mariah?
My first time my only effects were giggling beyond norm, and wiping out three tubes of saltines with half a jar of peanut butter.
It was later I discovered the unspeakable joy of Twinkies when high.

@Patty_Melt I’ve seen people freak out, throw up, all kinds of vertigo, blood pressure falls out, etc…

I’m one of those folks who gets anxious when high (at least, with the strain I have now).

I start to get way too existential and start to get legitimately scared about things that wouldn’t cross my mind when sober, like the possibility that hell could be real and I’m going to it (please nobody take this as an opportunity to get in a debate about religion with me).

I become hyper-aware of the fact that I’m not able to use logic well when high, and it frustrates me. I think about all sorts of things that I don’t normally think about when sober, and I get frustrated trying to figure out if the thoughts I’m having are nonsensical or profound. I get the urge to write down every thought that goes through my head so that I can review when sober.

And god help me if there’s anyone around who I’m not 100% comfortable with, because my social anxiety becomes way worse as I start to wonder if I’m acting like a total weirdo because of my impairment.

If I’m like this on the drug that’s supposed to just make you giggly and chill, I don’t want to find out what it’d be like for me to take a “harder” drug.

So for most of us, marijuana is not a gate-way drug, it is a get-away drug.

Wow. I have never witnessed anyone have a bad weed experience.
That’s some new stuff for me.

plenty of people feel paranoid after smoking weed

I tried to give one of you a GA, it wouldn,‘t work, on tablet. No problem with others. I’ll try the desktop.

Psychoactive”’. ‘Nuf said.