What is a gateway drug? A gateway drug is a drug or substance that has a
domino-like effect leading to the consumption of harder—usually much more
dangerous—drugs. The seemingly endless debate between what constitutes a
gateway drug has been the basis of much research done over the years. The most
popular, and most convincing tests on the matter are long term data collections
on specific individuals. These tests offer data, over time, that shed light on
the correlation between early substance consumption and its ability to
perpetuate harder drug consumption.Marijuana has been a hot topic of discussion over the recent years. From classroom debates to political debates, there is strong evidence that supports both ends of the spectrum in the legalization of the product. But what are some side effects of this illicit (at least for now) drug. In a recent study conducted by economic specialists Hans Melberg, Andrew Jones, and Anne Bretteville-Jensen they posed the question, “is marijuana a gateway to hard drugs?”
In a multi-decade study, economic researchers followed a select and diverse youth group to track their habits. They recorded data anywhere from personal information about their home life, to their schooling, to their drug habits. Tying this information together economic research posed some interesting findings that may slow the integration of legal marijuana into today’s society.
Through testing, marijuana proved to have positive correlation to likelihood to consumer harder drugs (cocaine, heroine, ect). Troubled youth especially showed these upward trends, migrating toward harder drugs much more frequently than casual consumers of the drug.
In conclusion of the study, the question of legality of marijuana may still remain in debate until otherwise disproven. The apparent gateway risk associated with the consumption of marijuana is still relatively new from a research perspective, and until the subject is further explored, we must continue to do what is best for our youth.
No comments:
Post a Comment