[Buckeye McFrog]

Now prepare for a bombardment of ridicule by those who dogmatically maintain pot is less dangerous than alcohol.

Speaking from personal experience and observation (which are the only things I can speak from)...my high school was literally like every Cheech and Chong movie ever made. Lots of regular pot smokers in there. And I have to say, from what I've observed, marijuana DID prove to be the Gateway Drug to harder stuff for nearly every one of them. At least the ones who are still alive.

[JustSayNoToNannies]

from what I've observed, marijuana DID prove to be the Gateway Drug to harder stuff for nearly every one of them.

The gateway claim is nonsense - research shows that the correlation between earlier marijuana use and later use of other drugs can be explained by a "common-factor" model, that is, a third factor that causes both results, such as individuals' opportunities and unique propensities to use drugs, or more broadly a social or psychological predisposition towards anti-social behavior. (http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB6010/index1.html, http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/hors253.pdf)

Also note that the same sort of correlation between earlier marijuana and later harder drugs also exists between earlier alcohol and tobacco and later illegal drugs - so if marijuana is a "gateway" so are alcohol and tobacco.