Question
Hey - great question and thank you for it. Sadly, yes - many in my field still consider marijuana to be a gateway drug. This flies in the face of common sense. If the concept of a "gateway" drug is at all useful/meaningful than it would be far more accurate to consider alcohol or nicotine a gateway drug as these are the first people generally try.
I find myself far more interested in what I'm calling "Gateway experiences" - what are the risk factors and experiences that put people at risk for addiction in life? The concept of a gateway drug doesn't do anything meaningful except to say, "Well, um yea...that's where they started." We have a long way to go in research and in improving our understanding of others experiences.
About the Expert
Jim LaPierre
LCSW, CCS
Brewer, United States of America
Specialties
Anger Management, Gay Lesbian Issues, Spirituality, Divorce, Compulsive Disorders, Trauma and PTSD, Life Coaching, Addiction or Substance Abuse, OCD, Mood Disorders, Parenting, Domestic Abuse or Domestic Violence, Anxiety or Fears, ADHD, Impulse Control Disorders, Relationship Issues, Women, Loss or Grief, Eating Disorders, Depression, Finding Your Purpose in Life
License
my_license #LC9830