I know that many people believe and even some professionals have said that marijuana is not a gateway drug to more severe addictions. I disagree. I feel that both alcohol and marijuana can be gateway drugs.
Though there may not be a 100% correlation, meaning that not everyone is going to move on to a ‘stronger’ drug, I do feel that there is a higher percentage of people that do move on.
It really comes down to common sense. The problem stems from an addictive mind / personality. If you are addicted to a substance, how much easier is it to become addicted to another substance than someone with no previous addiction?
How much easier is it for a person who has a current addiction to get access to a stronger drug? How much more likely is it that such a person has contact with one or more people that do use a stronger drug?
Due to these simple, common sense notions, I have to conclude that marijuana addiction would amount to a higher likelihood of moving onto a ‘stronger’ drug than someone who has no current addiction and does not have an addictive mind / personality.
Many people want some type of validation officially that it is on to utilize marijuana or other drugs. However, they should be looking for evidence that marijuana use and addiction is actually detrimental to society.
Of course, society and the law in some instances have accepted the use of medical marijuana for pain relief or other health issues. I think that, like other drugs, there are always potential problems and side effects from the use of any drug.
Consider the drug cartels and the violence and suffering that are intimately intertwined with the production and export / import of marijuana and other drugs. Remember, with every puff on a marijuana cigarette that you are supporting all of that! With every payment to a dealer you are supporting this industry.
I would argue that aside from a few medical instances there is really no redeeming qualities to drug use or abuse. Drugs are simply an escape from a reality that you will ultimately have to face again and again. Repeated drug use and addiction will do nothing but make you dependent on a drug that costs money and support the violence and crime that come with the production and movement of illegal substances.
Leave a comment below if you disagree or agree with me. I am certainly open to listening to your viewpoint.
This site is filled with stories about the problems and disasters that happen to people’s lives from drug / alcohol use and addiction. Your stories are welcome but must be anonymous with names and locations changed to protect identities. The stories must, of course, be true.
