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I have a theory about this theory. There's no scientific data nor has there ever been to support the gateway theory. None. This was spun up as more propaganda to keep the people away from marijuana. It's all about the threshold. Some people are terrified of downloading music illegally. However, as soon they do it the first time without repercussion's, they look back on their fear of doing it as unfounded. "I was just being silly", a person might think. This may lead to downloading more music, or even going a step further, downloading a movie. This is how it happened with me, and others I had talked to. The most common response to the question "what made you download a movie after downloading songs?" was "after the first time, nothing bad happened and it seemed safe". Relating the "pot is a gateway drug" argument to this, downloading music is a gateway to downloading movies. Is it physical addiction? No, it's the threshold. The threshold in this case is the boundary between legal and illegal. Once a person downloads a song, they cross the threshold. They've experienced it, and did it without any trouble. After the first, a second doesn't seem so big. Or a third. After a while, they download bigger things. When a person smokes marijuana, the most tame of all illicit substances, they cross this threshold. Nothing they were told about marijuana is true, so they relate this to the other substances their dealer might have.

"Wanna try cocaine?"
"I don't know, I've been told cocaine is bad and addictive."
"Isn't that what you said about pot?"
"Hmm..."

Personally, I did do cocaine because of this reason. It wasn't very smart, but I was younger and it was a mistake I learned from, which we could use more of(alcohol prohibition anyone?). Luckily I don't have an addictive personality, so when I ran out of money for cocaine, I accepted that. Others can't accept this, and they do whatever they need to do to get more.

It doesn't happen this way for everyone, but it does for many. It's unfortunate but the reason is that the government has lumped cannabis, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and others into the same category. With basic reasoning, one could assume that since marijuana didn't make them fiend for more, it might be the same about cocaine. What's sad is that cocaine actually is dangerous, and people get caught off guard. To quote Rick James, "cocaine's a hell of a drug". When people think about seeking help, they're afraid to at risk of getting in trouble for using the drug in the first place. I can't even stress how much it's just not supposed to be that way.

Anyone who has smoked knows what they were told in the past about it was lies, at least if they went through a DARE program like my peers. The people whose lives it didn't have the slightest negative effect on, are the people you never hear about. It's always lies and slander. A whole new world was opened up to me about the positive effects of marijuana, but I had to use my time well and look hard for it. The internet is changing these things though, as positive marijuana testimonials are as easy to find as a few words and a search engine. It's becoming evident as I see more and more arguments from anti-prohibitionists on a daily. Every day, someone's eyes are opened to the truth. When a person is actually told the reasons why marijuana was made illegal and why it still is, they appear confused. Usually followed by anger, but for me it was more calm. I knew what I needed and still need to do. Tell people the truth. It's pretty simple. You don't even have to make stuff up. In my opinion, the anti-prohibitionists side is easier to take in this argument because what most people still believe are just lies, and these lies are laughably simple to counter with a small bit of reasoning. It's fun for me, which is why I spend my free time thinking about this topic.

Education is the key. When debating this topic, keep a level head, and don't give your opponent any room to throw a arbitrary stoner stereotype your way. Stay cool, be dignified and represent your peers well, and maybe some of these stereotypes such as "stupid" and "lazy" will no longer be related to pot smokers. They never truly fit anyway.