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.

[babble-on]

It might well be taxed, but do you know how expensive this easy-to-grow plant is? An ounce can cost well over $100. Compare that to tobacco, which is more difficult to grow and is also taxed. It might be illegal to cultivate it in private, but if it were decriminalized, it would be pretty absurd to try to enforce those laws.

I think the WOD is a failure and should be abandoned because of the social costs it creates, but at the same time I have vary little doubt that we would have a much bigger "stoned people" problem if pot were decriminalized.

[Verginius Rufus]

According to a newspaper report about a week ago, a study of 17,000 persons born in the UK in 1958 showed that "moderate drinkers" earned 17% more than their colleagues who didn't drink at all. "Moderate drinkers" meant men who did not consume more than 25 beers a week, or women who did not consume more than 18 beers a week. Heavier drinkers earned 6% less than their colleagues who drank moderately, but still 5% more than their teetotaling colleagues.

I don't know if the results would be the same in America--they are probably talking about stronger beers than are generally consumed here.

[Servant of the Nine]

If you want to die and are physically incapable of offing yourself, you should be able to recruit help.

Coool. While we are at it, we should legalize the killing of babies who are incapable of caring for themselves, right? It's such a bother waiting for them to die from starvation on their own.

I never said anything about killing off anyone who could not take care of themselves.
I said if they were physically incapable of suicide and wished to die they were entitled to help.
Your reading comprehension sucks.

So9

[Wolfie]

Beer

And cigarettes. Ninety percent of children who used marijuana smoked or drank first.

[vin-one]

I have heard theroies, that because drugs are illegal, it intices some to try it
So maybe your JBT theroy has some merit.

[presidio9]

Careful. JR wants us to refrain from personal attacks.

That was not a personal attack but a logical conclusion. This person embraces a Libertarian philosophy and calls himself a Conservative. He would be better off accepting himself for what he is.

[presidio9]

And cigarettes. Ninety percent of children who used marijuana smoked or drank first.

Please provide a link to the source where you found this figure.

[presidio9]

I never said anything about killing off anyone who could not take care of themselves. I said if they were physically incapable of suicide and wished to die they were entitled to help. Your reading comprehension sucks.

My reading comprehension is fine. Who determines when a person is capable of making this request. Suicidal individuals are, by definition, not in their right minds. Sort of like drug users I guess...

[presidio9]

And the WoD demonstrably is a great evil on our society that does no good for any well-intentioned person.

This opening statement is an idiotic generalization. As such, the rest of your post will be abandoned in favor of merely bumping this thread to the top once again.

[Wolfie]

National Study Shows "Gateway" Drugs Lead to Cocaine Use

Here's a couple more highlights:

Children who drink are 50 times more likely to use cocaine than non-drinkers.

Children who smoke are 19 times more likely to use cocaine than nonsmokers.

[presidio9]

Perhaps we should make homework illegal then the kids would spend all their time doing homework?

You are one of the great ones at mocking the childish theories put forth by the pro-drug crowd.

[presidio9]

Here's my personal favorite from your linked article:

"Children who use marijuana are 85 times more likely to use cocaine than non-marijuana users."

Game-Set-Match.

[presidio9]

bump

[Servant of the Nine]

Suicidal individuals are, by definition, not in their right minds.

By your definition perhaps.

What do you propose doing to suicidal people?
Put them in prison so they can't kill themselves?
Sounds like the old soviet system to me. "You are property of the State and do not have the right to destroy yourself"
If an individual does not have the freedom to choose to die, then what freedom do they have?
Or is it only the physically handicapped who need help that do not have the right to kill themselves?

Listen to someone you love scream in pain and beg to die for a few months and tell me how you feel about it then.

So9

[Wolfie]

Hardly. You have to cut them off at the source. Until we outlaw cigarettes and alcohol, we have no chance of keeping them off of cocaine.

Ninety percent of children who used marijuana smoked or drank first.

[presidio9]

Listen to someone you love scream in pain and beg to die for a few months and tell me how you feel about it then.

Surely someone so interested in drugs has at least heard of the wonders of painkillers.

[aruanan]

While concluding that there was a causal relationship between early marijuana use and subsequent other drug use, the authors could only speculate about why the association exists

They showed an association. They didn't show a causal relationship. If they claimed that in their paper, they're going to get laughed out of conferences--well, unless their conference time is spent in the company of true believers.

[MrLeRoy]

Sure is quiet around here...

That's because you WODdies won't touch post #60 with a ten-foot pole.

[MrLeRoy]

Has LeRoy made an appearance yet?

Only five posts before you asked the question.

[presidio9]

Ninety percent of children who used marijuana smoked or drank first.

Right. And 100% of them drank milk first. The pro-drug crowd loves to harp on tobacco and alcohol use as having a causal relationship with pot-smoking. Maybe it does maybe it doesn't. I don't really know and neither do you. The point is it is irrelevant. Here is what matters: Kids who smoke pot are much, MUCH more likely to use cocaine than kids who drink. You provided the article, not me. It spells out the facts that any rational person could conclude for themselves. Pot use makes kids 85 times more likely to try cocaine.