Is Marijuana A Gateway Drug?

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[overgrownghost]

If schools explained it this way and not in a demeaning fear mongering manner maybe the kids would be alright and actually understand at least to wait rather than an act of "rebellion" since about 4/5 of my friends started smoking when the D.A.R.E. stuff came around in middle school

[tayzonday]

I have used marijuana very extensively for periods of my life -- but began at age 34. I don't use it currently. I generally have not struggled with Substance Use Disorder (addiction). My experience might be very different if I had pediatric THC access.

[clutchmelon]

Schools literally never break it down this way. Instead they opt for cringe marketing rather than talking to teens like adults about adult topics like drugs.

When they dumb things down, teens start to lose interest. I at least did, because it felt like I couldn't be trusted to understand the concept, and they simply didn't outline the answer to "why?"

[keili]

I feel like it’s a gateway drug in the sense that: whilst not everyone who smokes weed will go on to take harder drugs, almost anybody who takes harder drugs at some point in their life most probably started smoking weed before

[fuduzlp]

If I had known this, I might've done things differently. I've been smoking daily since I was about 20 and regularly since I was about 16. All I ever heard was moral fearmongering and if I had understood the actual physical consequences I might have not done that. Fortunately I haven't become addicted to hard substances, only doing coke very occasionally. But it's real hard getting away from weed or cigarettes, it's like my brain always craves something. If I don't have weed, I might drink, smoke more cigarettes, drink more coffee or consume more sugar... I'm always searching for some kind of high, it's always my dominant goal, at least when I'm alone. I'm still functional, but I don't really make any progress in live... I mostly just manage to keep my head above water.

[connorpeppermint]

This gateway drug explanation is still a far cry from "you do weed now, next you'll be hooked on heroin!"
This explanation also encompasses addictions to non hard drugs which makes more sense and I definitely would be more receptive to this as a youth

[joel]

This hits the issue on the head.

DO NOT EVER VIEW DRUGS AS A REWARD- intentionally, or otherwise - period.

This is the exact mechnism that is exploited when addiction forms.

E.g 'I've eaten all my dinner, i deserve dessert'
'I've had a hard day, i deserve weed'
But then what happens when you have a crisis and 30 bad days in a row?
You are going to 'reward' yourself 30x as much.

Boom, you've now formed a habitual addiction.

[Skilliard]

Don't send this video to Redditors or they'll flip out lol.

[IsraeliSnack]

That’s a dope point but in the same breath it also can make sobriety that much more enjoyable because you can always hold onto that high mindset of feeling positive while sober

[argosvinandi]

Makes sense. I tried cannabis around 18 and used it occasionally for a couple years, then I didn’t use it at all for around a year, now I eat edibles every now and then at the end of the day. I’m 23 now. Never felt a sense of addiction or need for it. It’s a semi therapeutic treat i indulge in sometimes.

I think we tend to account for the least common denominators when it comes to people a lot of the time. Iv encountered this problem a lot in college where the course was made with the least disciplined, least intelligent person able to pass the class in mind. Which makes sense statistically and from a business standpoint but I wish the fact that we are accounting for the least common denominator was acknowledged more often so that people don’t make incorrect inferences and take them as facts at an individual level rather than a statistically significant correlation.

[yaeboe]

This makes a lot more sense than dare did. Basically when weed doesn’t provide a buzz but one has gotten into the routine of having a buzz, they are more likely to go further to satisfy that.

[BJL]

I can understand your reasoning for someone under the age of 21, i didnt start consuming cannabis till 28, since then ive been able to live an easier life
(I have chronic back pain from a workplace injury)
But i know that my younger self was definitely right in avoiding it because of my likelihood of developing a dependency, i was hooked on nicotine from the age of 18 till 25 and that was a really hard substance to abstain from, was only able to successfully quit smoking tobacco after i became physically and mentally ill at the thought of continuing.

[myownfreemind]

This also heavily depends as well on addictive personality levels. Some people have the ability to build habits and detach from them easily, and may not have stressors creating emotional dependency.

[Xanderj]

So your risk of addiction to other drugs is increased rather than “weed will make you seek out other drugs”? Gateway drug always was presented as “it will make you turn to other drugs, it leads to wanting stronger drugs, it’s a gateway straight to other drugs” as opposed to “other drugs will be more addictive if you try them” and it sounds like you’re saying it’s the latter which actually does make sense to me compared to how it was always phrased in school dare etc

[ggstylz]

I think personality plays a bigger role in someone moving on to other drugs, having smoked cannabis. Many people might try other drugs, but I’ve never believed smoking cannabis alone will cause other drug addictions. Of course it happens, but not because of cannabis. Almost every person I’ve ever known who’s smoked cannabis for decades, has never become addicted to other drugs, and I’m talking about a lot of people.

[BlackRose]

Ngl I always thought it was because you used to have to buy it from an actual drug dealer. Like you can’t get cocaine from the liquor store but you prob can from your pot dealer

[lucasjackdekadt]

Im 20 y o, ive recently stopped smoking weed and im so happy for it like i was smoking it on my own just a bit throughout the day and to get to sleep but it had a big effect on my mood, it really did make me live a much more depressed life and now if I smoke a bit I immediately feel that coming. Ive thought that it isn't the best thing for me and id recommend other youths like me to try quitting as well for a bit its difficult but worth it ❤❤

[NikkiDoesStufff]

Couldn’t the exact same thing be said about cigarettes and alcohol though? Are those not damaging in similar if not more ways?

[KaiserBN]

As a former heavy user, I would say it is. Although I didn't try other drugs, it was really appealing to try other drugs, but I just didn't have acces to them.

[NathanHedglin]

Daddy used to come home, light a huge blunt, take his belt off and pass out.