My hunch: If marijuana were traditionally consumed in liquid form — as a tasty beverage with or without a tiny paper umbrella protruding out the top — it would be legal today. Although it continues to be illegal in the vast majority of U.S. regions, some cities, and even the entire state of California, have rethought or are rethinking it’s legal status.
Over the past decades a big argument against legalization was the claim that marijuana is a “gateway” drug. That it leads to the use and possible addiction to harder, more physically and socially injurious drugs.
Is marijuana a gateway drug? The answer to that question depends upon what studies you consider. From some research the logical conclusion would be, seems so. From other research, maybe not.
A recent study falls into the second category.
New research from the University of New Hampshire shows that the “gateway effect” of marijuana – that teenagers who use marijuana are more likely to move on to harder illicit drugs as young adults – is overblown. [source]
Reading and thinking carefully here, the use of the word “overblown” suggests there may be a small link, a minor influence of marijuana use on whether or not an individual later uses other, more truly dangerous drugs.
Oh darn. Damn those precise scientists! Can’t give us a completely black or completely white answer! We’ll have to go to a preacher or politician for one of those.
Additionally, the small gateway effect appears transient.
[O]nce young adults reach age 21, the gateway effect subsides entirely.
Drug use is a complicated subject. A couple other variables that seem involved were exposed by this study. The first being employment. When gainfully employed, individuals are much less likely to “move on” to the use of harder drugs.
And then there was this surprising finding (at least to me) -
The researchers found that the strongest predictor of other illicit drug use appears to be race-ethnicity, not prior use of marijuana. Non-Hispanic whites show the greatest odds of other illicit substance use, followed by Hispanics, and then by African Americans. [emphasis added]
Hmm. Now that’s food for thought. No, not hash brownies. Regular food. At least not until you punch-out on Friday.
> Related Posts
Tags: culture, mental health, race
September 29th, 2010 at 6:53 pm
Teenagers who use marijuana are more likely to move on to harder illicit drugs as young adults – is overblown
Its more of a gourp thing if johns doing it paul has too do it