Is marijuana a "gateway drug"?
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Massachusetts
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Hi Gravity:
What you've said sounds reasonable to me. At the end of the day, the essence of the problem might be described as "self medication". First, perhaps to achieve some arguably justifiable purpose- overcoming shyness, greater social cohesion, relief from pain, monotony, depression, grief. Later, or perhaps not so much later, merely to achieve or perpetuate a "high", to "mellow out". Then, when tolerance builds and the stuff doesn't "work" as well as before, experimenting with different, stronger stuff, not necessarily at the urging of a "pusher" but often at the suggestion of a friend as part of "partying". In retrospect it might have seemed that weed was a "gateway" but it may have been such as only the first rung on the self medication ladder. It could have been something else- cough syrup, some prescription drug. It's "gateway" only because it was first in line. Whatever the stuff, the addiction happens because the addict makes it happen.
W.
What you've said sounds reasonable to me. At the end of the day, the essence of the problem might be described as "self medication". First, perhaps to achieve some arguably justifiable purpose- overcoming shyness, greater social cohesion, relief from pain, monotony, depression, grief. Later, or perhaps not so much later, merely to achieve or perpetuate a "high", to "mellow out". Then, when tolerance builds and the stuff doesn't "work" as well as before, experimenting with different, stronger stuff, not necessarily at the urging of a "pusher" but often at the suggestion of a friend as part of "partying". In retrospect it might have seemed that weed was a "gateway" but it may have been such as only the first rung on the self medication ladder. It could have been something else- cough syrup, some prescription drug. It's "gateway" only because it was first in line. Whatever the stuff, the addiction happens because the addict makes it happen.
W.
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