I would like truthful and polite responses please?

Question

Do you think pot is a gateway drug and what proof do you have either way. I think it may be, because it is illegal and people with no respect for the law sell it, therefore you meet "seedy" people who may tempt you with other drugs, however you can always say no. So does pot itself lead you to "harder" drugs, or is it ones lack of self control? Thanks for your honesty. I want really great thought out answers and opinions. Cant wait to hear what you people out there think.

Answer 1

I think it is a gateway drug because people are told it is sooo bad. Then they try it and it isn't. Then they think maybe they were misled about other drugs (many of which are horribly bad), and try other things.

Answer 2

JMO

i would say that if you consider pot a gateway drug, then you kinda got to say the same for alcohol, tobacco, even coffee for that matter. the argument could be made soda-> energy drinks-> coffee-> OTC energy pills -> speed.  

i smoked pot starting when i was 13 until just a few years ago. i used acid, cocaine, meth and opium on a regular basis as well, not just the same length of time. i also smoked crack twice and did heroin once. however, i knew plenty of people that smoked pot and only pot. and, i knew people who never smoked pot once but tripped acid. and, there were the people who had smoked pot once or twice and didn't like it, but they used meth to the point of hallucination.

people are going to do things for different reasons. i'm sure there are some who say "it all happened because i smoked pot". i smoked pot because i was curious. i liked it and kept doing it. i tried cocaine because i was curious. i liked it for a while. i tried heroin because i was curious. i didn't like it so i didn't do it again.

despite all of my past drug use, i have never been to rehab. i stopped on my own. never had the physical withdrawal symptoms everyone talks about. the pot smoking kinda slowed on it's own over time.

hope that helps.

added to blessed-

pot goes down your throat much easier than cocaine. cocaine burns and, imo, tastes horrible.

Answer 3

no. pot is not a 'gateway drug' for everyone. i smoked pot for years without moving onto harder substances, it just depends on the will power of the indiviual and the people they associate with.

Answer 4

No, it should not tempt you into harder drugs. Its often used for spiritual reasons, not so you can giggle at clouds. With drugs I think its the addictive factor of the user rather that the plant itself.

Answer 5

Alcohol is a bigger gateway drug than pot, because more people who use "harder" drugs have used alcohol before trying something else (this is fact, I remember the stat from a textbook I had once).

I also think that its called a gateway drug because its so readily available, and so what it actually does is it opens people up to the whole drug business.  So in that respect, it is as you say.  But I also believe that there has to be something in the person that wants to do a harder drug in order for him/her to go beyond the pot.

As for the comment about people who sell it having no respect for the law, that's not entirely true, imo.  When I was smoking, my dealers had always been people who were very law-abiding, and it was like selling and using pot was their one tiny act of rebellion.

Answer 6

It has been my experience that alcohol is far more of a "gateway" drug than pot ever is.

I think you are likely portraying things in far too black and white a way to capture reality. It is not true that people who sell pot have no respect for the law. It is usually a very minor crime, and there is a world of difference between a minor victimless crime and "no respect for the law." I also do not think it is true that they will try to tempt you with other drugs. If for no other reason, it wouldn't make any sense for a pot dealer to introduce you to other drugs which he doesn't sell. It would be in his best interest for you to stick to weed.

My personal experience is that most people who smoke weed, stick with weed. Some go on to harder stuff, but if they do, and I know many people who have done so, it is never because of pot or because of "lack of self control." Usually it is curiosity, peer pressure or boredom. Again, these have only been my experiences, so they shouldn't count as "proof." Still, it seems to me that you don't have an accurate picture. Granted, if you do not have personal experiences, you probably cannot have an accurate picture, as it is an "underground activity" and most of the statistics on it are given by biased parties (one way or the other.)

All you are likely to get on here is anecdotal evidence like mine. If you want real evidence, you should probably look in to sociological studies that have been done. I would steer clear of both government agencies and organizations pushing for legalization as both have agendas.

Answer 7

i dont think it leads to other stronger drugs, but i guess it all depends on the acess you have to the stornger drugs

...

Answer 8

I think it leads to heavier drugs in a way that you always want to "improve" your experience...

kinda like when you were a kid and tried a super concentraded slurppie.

Answer 9

Pot is not a gateway drug.  That's a coined phrase by someone who's never done drugs.  Pot is not addictive nor does it make you want other drugs.  I know alot of people that only did pot in high school and strayed from the "harder drugs".

Answer 10

I think it CAN be a gateway drug for some individuals, and sometimes not.

I have smoked pot in the past, and still do on rare occasion with an old friend.

I think it's a lack of self control or seeking a more powerful high.

Answer 11

You ask what I think, then want proof. That is kinda weird.

I do think it is a gateway drug. People who try pot either like it or they don`t. If they like it, it is because they like the feeling they get when using it. But like all things, after a while it is not enough to just feel fine, especially since you have to burn your throat to do it. So they look for a less burning way to get the same feeling of happiness or whatever the feeling is.

They try other drugs and I am not saying it happens overnight,

but down the road the drugs get stronger and the high doesn`t last as long. You can always say no in the beginning.

It gets harder after using them, especially when you think that you are not hurting anyone and it is only a little bit, or it is just once a week, then maby three times a week, then everyday.

Everyone thinks they have self control until they become addicted. They even say they can quit any time they want to.

But they do not want to...that is the problem.

Answer 12

HM.. this is very.. tough to answer. In my opinion, it is a mixture of both. Doing "business" with the marijuana dealers can lead you to more more serious dealers, like cocaine and heroine. But, then there is always a chance to say no, but you wouldn't have to say no if you didn't get into the marijuana in the first place that led you to more serious dealers.