the quote you provide does not say what you state above.
How does the quote differ? "Little evidence supports the hypothesis that initiation of marijuana use leads to an abuse disorder with other illicit substances," the report said.
“How does the quote differ?”
Exactly. You don’t understand.
“Little evidence supports the hypothesis that initiation of marijuana use leads to an abuse disorder with other illicit substances,” the report said.
Compared to your:
“the DEA said in 2016 that pot is not a gateway drug.”
You’ve turned it in to a confirmed negative, which was not even inferred in the DEA statement.
The DEA would have stated “there is evidence that refutes the hypothesis that initiation of marijuana use leads to an abuse disorder with other illicit substances” if they held that position.
But they did not.
They stated there is evidence but it is little - ie not much.
You turned it around to say they asserted an explicit finding refuting the hypothesis. They did not.
I’m sure there are studies that refute it and studies that support it.
I’m curious, how would you design a study to address and answer the hypothesis that initiation of marijuana use leads to an abuse disorder with other illicit substances?