IS MARIJUANA A PRECURSOR TO ABUSE OF OTHER DRUGS?

Abstract

Author(s): Birendra Kumar Mandal*

Cannabis is said to be a gateway drug that increases the users’ probability of taking up hard drugs like amphetamine or heroin. The empirical basis for the hypothesis is the common finding that most hard drug users have started with less dangerous drugs first and that there seems to be a staircase from alcohol and solvents via cannabis and tablets to amphetamine, cocaine and heroin. Although controversial, the hypothesis has had considerable influence on drug policy and legislation in many countries and has been a powerful argument in debates about legalization or decriminalization of cannabis.