Researcher's Study of Twins Bolsters 'Gateway Theory' (For Early Marijuana Use)

Medscape ^ | 2003 | Brown University Behavior Letter

[shrinkermd]

Many studies have examined the "gateway" theory, that marijuana use at a young age leads to use of harder drugs as a person grows older. While there is a general consensus among studies that those who use marijuana are much more likely to use hard drugs and that hard drug users usually use marijuana first, there is lively debate surrounding the reasons for these dynamics.

[presidio9]

OK, so by your logic, the KKK does not contribute to the "common good", so we should restrict their First Amendment liberties to free speech?

As long as they do no harm, of course not. Free Speech has been restricted where it did cause harm. Pot use makes kids 85 times more likely to use cocaine. Sounds pretty harmful to me.

[thoughtomator]

If you're against anything that lets kids get their hands on drugs, then you should be against the WoD! The complete inability of the government to regulate it in the context of the WoD makes drugs more available to kids than they would be in a regulated context. Wouldn't you rather the stuff be sold in shops rather than playgrounds?

[Sir Gawain]

According to Ozzy, your mother should now be a heroin junkie.

Wrong, because she returned to America and she is a law abiding citizen.

LOL, so if it weren't for the drug laws, your mom would be an addict?

[Zevonismymuse]

Ozzie Osborn himself says that pot smoking led his son Jack to try harder drugs?

Ozzy also said, "The Doctor told me to take 1 Vicoden every 4 hours but I took 4 Vicoden every one hour!"

When Ozzy blew a high BAL on Kelly's breathalizer and she told him he was drunk, Ozzy said,"I hope so!" Despite the fact Ozzy had been to Rehab 14 times himself, the family all laughed robustly.

I would have to say smoking pot was but one small piece of the predisposing puzzle which led Jack down the road to rehab.

[presidio9]

Face it, it is undeniably propaganda.

LOL, this coming from a legalized drugs proponent? Please. It is your side who worrys about propaganda, not mine. Do the web search yourself.

BTW, the article was pubilshed by that bastion of puritanism Brown University.

[presidio9]

Who knows. They point is, she never had the opportunity. Read the thread: Somebody said "nobody would begin using pot just because it was legalized." My observation was that plenty of people, my mom included, tried pot for the first time upon visiting Amsterdam, specifically because it was legal there. Any further speculation is irrelevant.

[presidio9]

Wouldn't you rather the stuff be sold in shops rather than playgrounds?

I'd rather neither. Legalized drugs would make it easier for the people who sell drugs to kids to get them.

[MrLeRoy]

only 41% lower

I'm not making this stuff up folks. LeRoy is that much of an out-of touch mountain man.

Thinking 41% is not a colossal diffenence makes me "an out-of touch mountain man"? You're really grasping at straws here.

[jmc813]

I am against anything that makes it easier to get drugs in the hands of kids.

I'm not trying to imply that you're not conservative in other areas, but the "for the children", emotion over logic debating tactic is a trademark of the liberals.

Look why don't you do us a favor and post the one quote that JR has on this subject.

tpaine, might you be able to help me out with this one?

To you he is the Messiah.

He does run the best site on the web (and I say that without exaggeration), but Christ is my only Messiah.

But I can't reacall his official position anyway, so let's hear it from the man himself.

Works for me.

[Sir Gawain]

I personally detest the tactic of bringing the site owner's opinions up to bolster one's argument, no matter which side does it. It's not confined to the WOD threads either.

[Major_Risktaker]

Can this "gateway" theory apply to law enforcement?
Like set beat law can lead to search & seizure to other harder laws. I guess you can apply this theory to almost anything.

[presidio9]

I think the more relevant statistic would be the percentage of alcohol users who tried cocaine without ever smoking pot. I don't have that number and neither do you. I have a hunch its pretty low.

[PaxMacian]

Ellipsoid would not even be precise for many reasons.
It would be much more precise to say our planet is a point moving in multiple spirals away from a single point. Much the same way we as individuals are doing. But, more to the point, time is relative and as one attempts to quantifiy the time to the beginning of the universe none can do so with certainty. It is much the same as when we are a child and a year seems like a lifetime.

Ecclesiastes 1:18
For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

[jmc813]

I personally detest the tactic of bringing the site owner's opinions up to bolster one's argument, no matter which side does it. It's not confined to the WOD threads either.

You're probably right. It is a weak debating tactic. I try to use it only when someone claims that you cannot be anti-WOD and conservative at the same time.

[MrLeRoy]

what is unique about pot that it causes "philisophical" changes in people?

Its illegality.

So the earlier choice to use one illegal drug and the later choice to use another spring from the SAME philosophy (which even identical twins need not both hold or both reject)---ergo, no gateway effect.

[MrLeRoy]

there would be no way to control interstate traffic.

Says who?

[Sir Gawain]

There's also no use in debating p9, unless you just enjoy a mental exercise. It all goes in one ear and out the other. The WOsD warriors don't realize that the government doesn't really want to stop the WOD, otherwise, they would just look at the real life case study called Prohibition. How many bootleggers do you know that are rich today? I honestly don't even know a bootlegger. Geez it's such simple logic. States' rights would end this discussion on both sides.

[presidio9]

Whatever. Legalized drugs is not a conservative policy. If Jim did support legalized drugs (actually it seems like he supporst states rights) he is embracing a libertarian policy.

[presidio9]

Says who?

Dred Scott for one.

[PaxMacian]

Caught in another lie! I am not a legalized drugs proponent.

I advocate the re-legalization of herb.

It is undeniably propaganda to take a group of twins selected for their opposing natures and present the opposing nature as evidence for anything.