For as long as i can remember i have heard people say that marijuana is a gateway drug, which has always ticked me off. Ive smoked for about two years now and i have never tried anything but marijuana and have honestly never wanted to. This led me to think that marijuana isn't a gateway drug as they say it is. So i did a bit of research and figured out that ( according to John P. Morgan, M.D. and Lynn Zimmer, Ph. D.) The primary basis for this "gateway hypothesis" is a report by the center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA), claiming that marijuana users are 85 times more likely than non-marijuana users to try cocaine. It was calculated by dividing the proportion of marijuana users who have ever used cocaine (17%) by the proportion of cocaine users who have never used marijuana (.2%). The high risk-factor obtained is a product not of the fact that so many marijuana users use cocaine but that so many cocaine users used marijuana previously. It is hardly news that people that use one of the least popular drugs are more likely to use the more popular ones. but what the study doesn't mention is the fact that 83% of marijuana smokers have never even tried cocaine. I just thought some of you guys might want to know. I have evidence to, go to http://www.marijuanalibrary.org/gateway.html for more info.
Before I started smoking I never wanted to try any drugs, but now I want to try LSD, Shrooms, and Coke. And I have popped tramadol. I believe Its the gateway drug, but thats all ont he person..
I tried coke before I even smoked a cigarette or weed. I would say that it is kind of a gateway though, because you find out that smoking weed isn't bad so you might think some of the other shit might not be bad also.
Before trying weed I though all drugs were bad but after realizing I was lied to about weed i've tried acid, shrooms, coke, and oxy's so i guess it can be a gateway drug but I don't blame teh weed for it
Maybe marijuana users are more likely to try other drugs simply because they are buying from drug dealers? I'd imagine drug dealers have a vested interest in promoting their higher end products. "First one's free" and all. Personally, I think alcohol is the real gateway drug.
I have also found that to be true, that drug dealers often get their customers to try harder drugs. But if weed were legal then stores could sell it cheaper then dealers, so people would stop buying from drug dealers unless they are under aged. this would help stop the gateway effect because if your buying it from a store they wont try to get you on harder drugs by saying " the first one's free".
Using for medical reasons, I cannot imagine (nor want to) pursue using other drugs. I am sick and seek relief. I don't have the energy to have a hard-core drug "habit."
Ive tried marijuana, cid, shrooms, and salvia... I dont consider any one of those destructive drugs, and i am not compelled to try shrooms or salvia again... and maybe some cid everyone once in a blue moon u know? The only reason weed is a "gateway" drug is because your not really exposed to the other bullshit unless your exposed to weed.
This made me take a second look at what sub-forum I was reading. This thread should probably be moved. Anyone know how to summon the mod gods?
ya man, i just relized i posted it in "general" instead of "medical". Does anyone know how to change it to "medical"?
Before I smoked weed I NEVER considered doing any drugs. Now I wanna try shrooms, coke and thinking about lsd and salvia.
It's not necessarily medical, "the gateway myth" is a general topic of discussion. Perhaps the idea of a "gateway" to other drugs is misunderstood. It is extremely likely, along with that drug dealer theory, that marijuana users are "more likely" to try other drugs because they enjoy it and other drugs seem less harmful. If you tasted and enjoyed chocolate then why wouldn't you enjoy chocolate covered things? I've tried shrooms, 2ci, and slavia but did it with weed. The "gateway" is opened with whatever first drug is chosen and walking through that gateway is an individuals choice. Sometimes people are pushed but I never have.