Jaclyn Larsen. Mr. Gregory. Period 2. February 12, 2017.

Jaclyn Larsen Mr. Gregory Period 2 February 12, 2017 The Gateway Theory: On Marijuana Within the last few years there has been a nation wide drive towards the legalization of marijuana. This year, it has finally been taken off the list of gateway drugs. A number of states have seen the legalization of marijuana as a gateway to medical benefits. Whereas other states are still skeptical of some of the unknown factors of marijuana. So how was the decision made that marijuana is not a gateway drug? It simply came to the end fact that it is up to the user whether they will experiment with other drugs or stick to just marijuana. In recent discussion, Robert L. DuPont, president of the Institute for Behavior and Health and the first director of†¦show more content†¦He is mistaken for he fails to see that a majority of those people who start with smoking weed then move on to other drugs more than likely have some other problems that provoke them to try these substances. On a more reasonable side to the argument, Deborah Peterson Small shines light on the factors that DuPont missed. The former director of public policy for the Drug Policy Alliance observes that, â€Å"...the real gateways to addiction are poverty, trauma, mental health problems and the effects of criminalization and stigma.† (Deborah Peterson Small, Look at the Real Gateways to Drug Addiction.) Basically, Small looks at the real problems that can be prove to lead a more general group of people to experiment with drugs. Not just a high school kid who s feeling a little rebellious and wants to see what the high life is all about . It is important to keep in mind that marijuana may enhance the brain’s reaction to other drugs, but it cannot make the brain want to try more drugs. The gateway to try other drugs is left open, it is a personal choice that can be made by anyone without the influence of marijuana. Whether it be a mental illness or difficult life situation, marijuana is not a gateway drug, so it was a well thought out decision to have it removed from the list of gateway drugs. Another important detail to remember is that marijuana is not proven to lead to the consumption of other drugs. â€Å"...the vast majority of people who use