GATEWAY-DRUG THEORY NOT SUPPORTED BY FACTS

Growing up, most college students attended some form of D.A.R.E (Drug
Abuse Resistance Education) program.

D.A.R.E defines a gateway drug as "a drug that can potentially open
the door to the use of other harder drugs."

That is according to "The Official Parent Guide," constructed by Glenn
Levant and actively used and promoted by the D.A.R.E program.
Marijuana is considered one of the gateway drugs. It does recognize
that both cigarettes and alcohol are part of that theory as well.

"Marijuana is a gateway drug. In drug law enforcement, rarely do we
meet heroin or cocaine addicts who did not start their drug use with
marijuana," according to Karen Tandy of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.

Tandy does not mention that virtually everyone using cannabis tried
cigarettes and alcohol first. It is not necessarily cigarettes and
alcohol driving for harder drug use; although, even the most ardent
prohibitionist should argue that the correlations sequentially between
them should make both of them illegal according to the gateway theory.
Only to be fair, of course.

Personally, I think the gateway theory does exist to some extent.
Although, if marijuana were legal, the buyer would not have a reason
to associate with black-market distributors, thus narrowing access to
any other drugs, even if the person wants to buy them.

The Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction reported that
allowing the sale of marijuana to be regulated by licensed
distributors rather than by criminal entrepreneurs who will most
likely have the harder drugs when out of the popular herb, would
substantially curb harder drug use. The likelihood of people actually
going to these entrepreneurs will also decrease rapidly. Once
prohibited, alcohol is now flourishing with over $130 billion in
profit per year.

In short, it's the prohibition of marijuana that is sending people to
places in search of marijuana, where hard drugs are readily available
when the bud isn't.

A recent confrontation over the subject of marijuana's legal status
between Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee and FBI Director Robert Mueller
was aired on CNN News.

Cohen asked Mueller to explain why the government hasn't considered
separating the legal status of marijuana's from that of heroin and
cocaine. He continued with stating facts, one being that there were no
deaths due to the influence of cannabis while driving.

Mueller astonished Congress when he had the audacity to say, "If you
talk to parents that have lost children to drugs, they will inevitably
say that they started off with marijuana." Cohen disputed this claim
immediately and embarrassed Mueller by saying, "No, they started off
with milk, then went to beer . The gateway theory doesn't work here.
It's a reality." The astonished and perplexed expression on Mueller's
face spoke volumes.

Muellerr had no concept of marijuana and its benefits. Marijuana is a
plant that contains the most durable fiber on the planet. You would
think the FBI director would have facts to present the case of the
plant's illegality. Sadly, none arose at anytime.

Whether one consumes marijuana or not, is a choice that is made by
that person, much like the same choice you made when you turned 18 to
smoke cigarettes.

Think about it.