Study Questions Marijuana As Gateway Drug

~ Jason Schwartz

Much has been made of this study and, frankly, I don’t get it.

I’m no defender of the gateway theory, but this feels like a straw man. First of all, all of the kids in the study were underage. Were gateway advocates arguing that underage tobacco and alcohol use were not troubling?

I guess it does make the case that marijuana deserves no special status over alcohol and tobacco as a danger to kids.

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Published by Jason Schwartz

I have been an addiction professional and social worker since 1994. I started blogging in 2005 as the Clinical Director at Dawn Farm. I currently serve as the Director of Social Work and Spiritual Care for a healthcare system. I've also served as the Director of Behavioral Health at another hospital. I'm also a lecturer at Eastern Michigan University’s School of Social Work. Views expressed here are my own. Keep in mind that the field, the contexts in which the field operates, and my views have changed over time.