Gateway Drug
Some research has found that marijuana users are more likely than non-users to try other drugs.
- A 1994 survey reported in the NY Times found that 17% of marijuana users said they had tried cocaine, while only 0.2% of non-users has tried cocaine.
- These results can be interpreted in two ways
- 83% of all marijuana smoker never try cocaine.
- A marijuana smoker has a 85% chance of trying cocaine.
- A study by Kandel found that the risk of using cocaine was 104 times greater if you used marijuana
Studies have shown that marijuana users tend to be more likely to abuse other drugs, but they have not shown that it is marijuana causing the likeliness.
- Others argue, that those who use marijuana are just as susceptible to cocaine and other drugs before they use marijuana. Marijuana is just used first because it is easy to find.
- It is also interesting that those who drink a lot of alcohol are more likely to smoke marijuana and then more likely to do other drugs.