Is cannabis the gateway drug?

[ChocoholicMom]

I am a budhead - and have been for years. Tried a few "hard" drugs - never thought they were that fun.

Any person who has had issues with addiction (theirs or someone elses) will look for an excuse. Bottom line - no matter what introduces a person to use - its still a CHIOCE.

[MikesBabydoll09]

No worry Kenya.. Caffeine is one too though- dont forget that one

MrsCetina- No worries love - just had to speak my mind. At least we're on the same brainwave or something :P

LeBeau- GREAT point- I use to pop pills like a pez dispenser when I was in middle school. Got them from my mom, who got them from the Drs office, who told me to take one if my legs were cramping, or I would have muscle spasms.-- right now aderall is a HUGE one. OR hell even the one pill (methadone) that takes you off of the other drugs.. :\

[neighbor]

Originally Posted by Kenya874

Question : Do you believe weed is the gateway drug to other drugs??

--I do. I know if I would have never smoked weed I would have never experimented with other drugs...

Im drug free for 4 years now!!!

I do to,,same here if i`d never smoked it.but i havent smoked it in years, I stayed on the other drugs it lead me to.

I`ve been addictid to most every thing i tried except pot.
Thank God that pot is not addictive.
I`ve smoked a boatload of weed, its the only drug i was never hooked on,,of the ones i tried.
And it has even been scientificly proven that pot has nothing addictive in it.
Good for you on your 4 years ! , Ive got 18 months...

[stacy2009]

In my situation no...i used to smoke weed all day every day and i always knew that i would never ever try any other kind of drug....because i know what they do to you..its if you know what a crack head looks like or a heroin addict or meth head....and you know that they do awful things when they are addicted..to me thats enough to say hell no i aint tryin that junk...I wont even take pain meds stronger than tylenol..again my personal opinion....

[Daywalker]

I do not believe weed is a gateway drug for most people. In my case it wasn't; my mother had me on some pretty heavy pills from an early age to make me easier to handle.

If there was a gateway drug in my life other than prescription medications, it would have been alcohol and tobacco. And there was a study done recently that showed that children who never touched alcohol or cigarettes were far less likely to indulge in illegal street drugs.

Studies in Europe also show that marijuana is not the gateway it's been made out to be, again, for most people. There are those of us who will continue to fight to see it made legal for medicinal use; it does have some very valid medicinal uses, and my condition is one of them.

[chelseagreg1427]

Originally Posted by neighbor

I do to,,same here if i`d never smoked it.but i havent smoked it in years, I stayed on the other drugs it lead me to.

I`ve been addictid to most every thing i tried except pot.
Thank God that pot is not addictive.
I`ve smoked a boatload of weed, its the only drug i was never hooked on,,of the ones i tried.
And it has even been scientificly proven that pot has nothing addictive in it.
Good for you on your 4 years ! , Ive got 18 months...

it was/is addictive to me... try telling someone that needs to come off of it that its not addictive.. you may not have gotten addicted to it, and neither did those scientists or their test subjects, however some people do become addicted to it.. whether its mental or not.. its still an addiction for me.

[Onaicult]

Yea, I also disagree that it's not "non-addictive". Some people may not find it addictive - but many do.
I've never heard of any scientific evidence saying it's "non-addictive." It may be "less-addictive" but I think "non" is a gross overstatement.

[tee.dot.q]

There is no evidence to support that weed leads to the use of "harder" drugs. People are predisposed to addiction by a variety of factors. It seems elementary to me that someone who was an addictive type would try weed in addition to other drugs because they are looking for a high to satisfy their need but one doesn't lead you to the path of the other.

Weed is purely a mental state of mind, there is no such thing as being "addicted" to weed, at least in the medical sense like a coke or heroin addict is. Weed is a habit, not an addiction. Some folks just find it harder to break habits than others. It doesn't diminish what they are going through, I have jonsed for weed before and know it's annoying when you want it and can't but it's not the same as recovering from a physical addiction - it's just not.

I have smoked weed regularly for the past 15 years, and I promise you not once did it ever make me want to pick up a crack pipe or try crystal meth (or any other drug for that matter).

[Cactus]

Originally Posted by tee.dot.q

There is no evidence to support that weed leads to the use of "harder" drugs. People are predisposed to addiction by a variety of factors.
Weed is purely a mental state of mind, there is no such thing as being "addicted" to weed, at least in the medical sense like a coke or heroin addict is. It doesn't diminish what they are going through...

Very well put T. In fact addiction does come in a variety of factors such as gambling, sex, body-building, sports, foods, and a whole slue of different things that are non-medical, yet the addiction can be just as powerful. The key words that you brought out are worthy notes; "predisposed" and "mental state".

[His*Lil Mamma*]

I "played with" a lot of other drugs before I even touched weed. I never had a habbit with any of them, weed was the drug I least preffered. So I think weed is only your gateway drug, if its the first drug you come across. I think it just depends on the person, place, time and drug available at the moment! JMO

[MrsCetina]

Originally Posted by Onaicult

Yea, I also disagree that it's not "non-addictive". Some people may not find it addictive - but many do.
I've never heard of any scientific evidence saying it's "non-addictive." It may be "less-addictive" but I think "non" is a gross overstatement.

it was definitely mentally addictive for me. i relied on it to sleep, eat, cure sickness and back pain, enjoy life. i still miss it and im not sure whats going to happen when he gets out. we have never been sober together for more than a day or two.

[jennfromhtown]

being a pothead i would have to say weed is not a gateway drug. i have been a smoker for over 15 years and i do not use any other drugs. i dont drink alcohol either, i have never had the desire for any other kind of high. and yes it is addictive, no doubt. i am considering quitting for new years and not because its illegal but because it makes me eat too much!!!

[LittleWing13]

I don't even call it a "drug"...the government does. It's a herb...a plant that comes from the ground and doesn't go through some crazy chemical process before I inhale it (not to mention there is not way to use it intraveneously) . It is far less of a problem than cigarettes and alcohol especially. I know people who smoke weed everyday and have never done any hard drugs, and I've known people who are strung out on heroin and meth but don't ever smoke weed.

Most people would be surprised if they really knew who all is tokin behind closed doors. All they need to do is legalize it! LOL Okay before I get too carried away, LOL, I agree with everyone who said, No it's not "the gateway drug". Some people are going to experiment with anything and everything they can get their hands on, and some people aren't even slightly interested. Many things factor into this, but I don't believe weed is one of them.

As for the argument on whether or not weed is addictive...It is in no way a physically addictive substance. When you quit, your body doesn't go through withdrawal. I've had to quit before and don't get me wrong, it's DAMN hard, but c'mon, it isn't the same as kicking a habit like heroin.

I need to stop...I could talk about this all day long.

[Onaicult]

Originally Posted by MrsCetina

it was definitely mentally addictive for me. i relied on it to sleep, eat, cure sickness and back pain, enjoy life. i still miss it and im not sure whats going to happen when he gets out. we have never been sober together for more than a day or two.

everytime I have stopped, I get muscle aches for a few days, and headaches usually. those are physical withdrawal symptoms. are they anything close to harder drugs? no. but there is a physical addiction, for me. as well as a mental one. I agree with you, it has it's physical benefits too!! I have wicked bad insomnia, as well as period pains, and I have never found anything as effective or soothing.
To me, alcohol is a much more dangerous and addictive drug, with little medical benefit. Yet that is legal, because the government can easily tax it.

[Onaicult]

Originally Posted by LittleWing13

All they need to do is legalize it!

Yes, I think we could take a note from Portugal. They legalized everything, with resounding success! Gang violence, and drug abuse are in sharp decline. that might be another thread though

[FrustratedGirl]

Originally Posted by Kenya874

true but tobacco and alcohol are legal....

And they cause death...something that cannot be said about marijuana with any certainty. You cannot ingest enough to cause death, unlike other substances including prescription drugs.

The physiological, psychological and physical withdrawal from marijuana has nothing on that of opiates and other drugs such as valium and xanax .

[RoddasMaMa]

im addicted to weed ive been smoking since i was in 3rd grade so about 16 years but i dont find it a gateway drug i feel that alcohol is and maybe gigs!but for sure alcohol....alcohol is way worse then weed!!ive tried almost everything there is to try but i think the fact that im so hooked on weed help me from gettin hooked on other shit!!!

[ladymurda]

my husband says weed is tha gate away drug 4 him..he says it takes away all tha stress and pain he goes thru and im started 2 believe him cause my husband is a smoker he will smoke b4 he will drink..weed is his life he said times like this he wish he can roll up a blunt cause hes goin thru it but since hes locked up he cant do nothing..but as in weed being the gate away drug idk i truly believe its not i think tha reason y pplz say or think that cause they so use 2 smoking it and 2 them it helps them stop thinkin about wateva they think about or go thru..im also a weed smoker but it helps put me 2 sleep if i cant sleep and i kno i need 2 sleep

[fairwells]

I agree that cigarettes are usually where it starts for kids.

[fairwells]

Oh, but I also agree that it's different for everyone. I tried speed and acid (when I was 14) before I started drinking.

[shaneswife1127]

people who are "addicted" to weed are mentally weak in my opinion. i can smoke for days at a time when i have the extra money and not smoke for weeks and be fine. i dont by any means put it first. i make sure i have money for bills, diapers, food ect. i love smoking and so does my husband but we can stop when we dont have the money. weak people become addicts.

[LeBeau]

Wow- Judgemental much towards people who have an issue you don't?
I salute your ability to keep perspective when it comes to smoking and buy neccessities first but I have to say that someone who can be that proud that they buy diapers before they buy dope should maybe think about how many windows they have in their house before they start throwing rocks.

[Jillian]

Originally Posted by shaneswife1127

people who are "addicted" to weed are mentally weak in my opinion. i can smoke for days at a time when i have the extra money and not smoke for weeks and be fine. i dont by any means put it first. i make sure i have money for bills, diapers, food ect. i love smoking and so does my husband but we can stop when we dont have the money. weak people become addicts.

While i understand that this is your opinion, you don't know what another person has been through in order to get them to that addicted point. By technical standards you can be viewed as an addict for the simple fact that even though you stop for awhile you always go back once you got the money for it. As for the general statement that you made about weak people become addicts, that is not true, some of the strongest mind people can be addicted to something, as well as there are some people who are born with addictive personalities due to their mother doing some sort of drug or alcohol while she was pregnant.

[staycee8221]

ive smoked weed on a regular basis and ive never had the desire to try ANYTHING else. I guess it all just depends on the person and their surroundings

[hischubchub]

i started with alcohol