Is weed really a gateway drug?

[SomeBritishDude]

For some people I guess. I'm smoked weed for about 2 maybe 3 years now and still haven't tried any other illigal substances if that tells you anything. I do agree that once you get over the fact that FYI not every drug that is illigal is going to cause you make your face melt when you try it and you know where to get this kind of stuff easily it is a lot more tempting.

I've always wanted to try more hullucnigenics for instance; one of the best times I've had smoking weed was when me and my mate were tripping balls and thought there was a snake in the middle of the road. Then re realised it was a shoe. Then a big leaf. Then a bit of tree bark. I went right up to this thing and had my face a few inches away from it and I still couldn't tell you what it was. I would like to experience something like that again and since I've built up a tolerance I doubt I'll ever have it smoking weed again.

...Thinking about it now it was probably dog shit

 

[TheXRatedDodo]

It's not some magical doorway to a life of abuse, but it's not totally innocuous either.

I will be one of the first people to defend Cannabis, but also the first guy to acknowledge that it's an incredibly powerful plant that can lead you in some very strange directions in your life.

Hell, I never thought I'd find my life like it is now. Don't think of that as a complaint, I love my life, it's simply a statement. I doubt I'd have ever become as spiritual a person as I am now if it weren't for cannabis, and I am pleased for where it has taken me, but not everyone is up for that and there's certainly the potential for it to take you there whether you like it or not.

 

[d4rkxy13x]

Weed is in no way a gateway drug. It's the person who smokes weed who chooses to progress or not. Most people I know who smoke weed say nay to anything else, and are happy with just weed, whereas a few people, even before smoking weed for the first time, wanted to try LSD and trippy drugs. It's not that weed is a gateway drug, it's an intermediate drug, that's all.

 

[DanDeFool]

I think when people talk about a 'gateway drug', they're more referring to the type of people you're going to fall in with if you start using illegal drugs recreationally.

Smoking a joint isn't going to make you want to try heroin or cocaine or LSD through some sort of chemical process. Rather, if you hang out with a lot of people who smoke weed on a regular basis, you're more likely to find yourself in a situation where you're offered other drugs by those people.

Moral of the Story: Drugs are not a gateway to other drugs. People who use drugs are the gateway to other drugs.

 

[BGH122]

According to the most recent scientific literature I can recall, no it isn't a gateway drug. That's polemic.

As a poster some way up rightly said, it's really more a gateway to illegality due to the fact it's illegal. It's also a gateway to illegality because of government misinformation: if one tells children that weed will wreck their mind and then they go on to see people smoke weed and remain healthy then that child learns to mistrust all government drug education.

 

[samuraiweasel]

IMHO it depends on why youre doing weed in the first place. If it's because of the thrill, or because its cool, then maybe yeah.....

 

[Gigano]

Well yes.

In order to get it, you'd have to veer into some of the shadier black market environments, where you'd be bound to be encouraged to try out the harder - and for the dealers more profitable - stuff with far greater dependency factor. And you've already broken the law, so the line have already been blurred at that point.

Hence another reason to legalize it; less risk of young people falling in with entirely the wrong crowd.

 

[b3nn3tt]

The thing with weed is it's almost harmless, it's not addictive, and it's completely natural most of the time. I don't believe in legalisation; however, do believe in abolishing all criminal charges associated with it. The reason I don't think it should be legal is because if it is it means people can sell at your corner shops, advertise it and it becomes a consumer product, soon to become a part of our capitalist economy. The other thing is that if it is this legal, everyone will be on it, drastically reducing the productivity of society. So don't punish people, but don't encourage it either.

I don't think that it would reduce productivity if it was legalised. All that would need to happen would be the same restrictions placed on it as are placed on alcohol. If you come to work drunk, you can be fired on the spot, and rightly so. It would just have to be legal for someone to be fired for coming into work stoned

OT: No, I don't think it's a gateway drug. At least not in all cases. For some people, yes it certainly is, but I imagine those people had a predisposition to trying harder drugs anyway. I definitely don't think it's the case that most people will try weed then think 'well, I'd better move onto something harder now'

 

[XHolySmokesX]

It's a gateway all right. A gateway to...

If anything its a gateway away from violence. Try getting violent when your high on weed. Trust me it's incredidly hard to get violent when you feel extremely chillaxed and you can't stop laughing at random shit.

Gateway drug, i'd say only in the way that it's illegal like other drugs.

But to be honest doing weed all the time just makes you lazy and tired when your not high. Smoke it when you don't have work the next day or if your at a music festival or something, not every night. trust me i've been there.

 

[Ruuvan]

I don't believe it is; I never tried anything harder when I was under the influence of weed, nor did I even consider it! If anything Alcohol is more of a gateway drug, lowering your inhibitions about everything!

We were out at University, not high but quite drunk, and some dude offers cocaine to one of my friends. Off he went to destroy his nasal passages, all because of bloody alcohol! Knowing the guy very well (living together for four years) I know he wouldn't have gone for it sober.

Thankfully he didn't have it in the end - the fella who offered had second thoughts or something.

Alcohol is more of a gateway drug than marijuana.

 

[Gardenia]

Everyone I know who's done harder drugs has started with weed. It had nothing to do with it being illegal, they just wanted to try harder and harder drugs.

Through my aunt I know many addicts, and I can tell you that this is absolute bullshit. From where I see it, the common denominators are rough childhood/PTSD +alcohol abuse.
I know many heroin/cocaine/amphetamine/pain killer abusers who have never tried cannabis, or who tried cannabis long after their primary addiction to heavier drugs had taken hold.

 

[Astoria]

Everyone I know who's done harder drugs has started with weed. It had nothing to do with it being illegal, they just wanted to try harder and harder drugs.

Through my aunt I know many addicts, and I can tell you that this is absolute bullshit. From where I see it, the common denominators are rough childhood/PTSD +alcohol abuse.
I know many heroin/cocaine/amphetamine/pain killer abusers who have never tried cannabis, or who tried cannabis long after their primary addiction to heavier drugs had taken hold.

Umm what? You're telling me that these people I know didn't start with weed and move onto harder stuff? Pretty sure they did.

 

[subtlefuge]

Weed is definitely a gateway drug. It builds up a relationship with drug dealers, who usually have other drugs.

Here's the kicker though: people use it as an argument against legalization, but legalizing it would mean people would by it at their local drugstore instead of their local drug dealer, so it would no longer be a factor.

Studying law makes you realize how asinine the whole system is. I guess the only argument that I understand is a lack of productivity. I mean if weed was illegal, nobody would ever get anything done.

 

[DSQ]

Hmm it depends. I mean smoking weed will inroduce you to people who do harder stuff yes.

But as long as you know that other drugs are 10 times more addictive and worst for your health you won't be that tempted... or maybe thats just me?

If you are at college most people won't force you to do harder stuff.

 

[Bernzz]

Everyone I know who's done harder drugs has started with weed. It had nothing to do with it being illegal, they just wanted to try harder and harder drugs.

Through my aunt I know many addicts, and I can tell you that this is absolute bullshit. From where I see it, the common denominators are rough childhood/PTSD +alcohol abuse.
I know many heroin/cocaine/amphetamine/pain killer abusers who have never tried cannabis, or who tried cannabis long after their primary addiction to heavier drugs had taken hold.

And through the people she knows, she knows a fair few addicts too. You have the same backing for your argument as she does, but she's wrong and you're right? Nice reasoning.

 

[GLo Jones]

Weed isnt even a drug

Neither is tobacco, or beer, but the drugs they contain are pretty damn popular.

People have already said that if you're already buying the weed, then the biggest hurdles have already been passed to getting harder substances. The effects of weed itself though, I don't think has anything to do with it.

 

[minimacker]

It's a gateway, since it's illegal and spat upon.

If it was as casual as alcohol or cigarettes, then nope.

 

[pyramid head grape]

NO NO NO NO NO NO

I know several people who smoked weed and never did anything else, myself being one of them.

I also know people who went straight to crystal meth.

Weed isnt even a drug

Very true.