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.

[jmc813]

What is the Gateway Theroy d00d?

[ActionNewsBill]

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.

Did she try heroin and cocaine as well?

[PaxMacian]

You are right about that one.


Matthew 15
11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

[presidio9]

If that's why teens find marijuana easier to buy than cigarettes and alcohol, then apparently their suppliers have no problem getting marijuana---so the War On Marijuana is a failure.

Nope. If drugs were legalized the problem would be worse. The difficulty that all of you guys have is understanding that alcohol and marijuana are very different from a practicality standpoint.

[ActionNewsBill]

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.

The point is...they started with alcohol. It's irrelevant whether or not they used reefer...they started with alcohol.

[presidio9]

Did she try heroin and cocaine as well?

She was not there long enough to develop a marijuana habit. The point is that she did try it when it was legal. So do plenty of others.

[tpaine]

There are a couple of JR quotes about drugs on my home page. Feel free.

[Trailerpark Badass]

Did she try heroin and cocaine as well?

No, because she was quickly hustled back to the US where the benevolent genius of our laws saved her from the base desires she cannot control.

[cinFLA]

- National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University

(support for gateway theory)

"We have known for years that marijuana damages an individual's ability to concentrate and impairs short-term memory and motor skills at a time when teens most need them. Teens who play with the fire of cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana are likelier to get burned by the flames of heroin, cocaine and acid.

CASA research shows a statistical relationship between use of tobacco, alcohol and marijuana and use of drugs such as cocaine, heroin and acid. Among teens with no other problem behaviors, those who used cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana at least once in the past month are almost 17 times likelier to use another drug like cocaine, heroin and acid. Those who drank and smoked cigarettes at least once in the past month are 30 times likelier to smoke marijuana than those who did not.

Recent biomedical research suggests the reasons why: marijuana affects levels of dopamine (the substance that gives pleasure) in the brain in a manner similar to heroin. Indeed, marijuana may prime the brain to seek substances such as heroin and cocaine that act in a similar way.

An alarmingly high proportion of teens who experiment with cigarettes, alcohol and illegal drugs continue to use them. Among teens who have ever tried marijuana, 76.4 percent – more than 1.4 million – are still smoking pot in twelfth grade. CASA's 2002 National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse VII found that, for the first time, a higher percentage of teens find marijuana easier to buy than both cigarettes and beer."

[Trailerpark Badass]

For those who wish to sell mind-altering substances, marijuana is clearly the preferrable choice, because it is significantly less bulky per dose.

A flask of vodka is very easy to conceal, and carries enough to get two or even three 16 year-olds nicely buzzed.

[ActionNewsBill]

Your literal interpretation of the Bible to support your drug habit holds no meaning for me,

So the bible is not to be taken literally?

You must be one of them whiskeypaleons.

[cinFLA]

There are a couple of JR quotes about drugs on my home page. Feel free.

Be careful. We know of at least one fake quote on tpaines homepage.

[jmc813]

marijuana affects levels of dopamine (the substance that gives pleasure) in the brain in a manner similar to heroin.

Chocolate and sex affect dopamine levels. Are they a gateway to heroin?

[Trailerpark Badass]

(support for gateway theory)

There was no support in that excerpt, only "suggestions" and conjecture.

[PaxMacian]

He certainly doesn't take
Thou shalt not lie
literally.

[jmc813]

Be careful. We know of at least one fake quote on tpaines homepage.

Which one?

[cinFLA]

A flask of vodka is very easy to conceal, and carries enough to get two or even three 16 year-olds nicely buzzed.

A few ecstasy pills in the pocket are much smaller ....

[cinFLA]

The one by Abe Lincoln.

[nickcarraway]

ping

[Trailerpark Badass]

CASA's 2002 National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse VII found that, for the first time, a higher percentage of teens find marijuana easier to buy than both cigarettes and beer."

Easier than cigarettes? Given these circumstances, marijuana may, indeed, someday become the "gateway drug," inasmuch as it will be the first one kids try.

Way to go!