Study say marijuana no gateway drug

The real difference between tobacco and weed is that weed places 3 times the tar in your lungs as tobacco. There are 400 chemicals in tobacco, 600 known in weed. So you tell me, if you basing your smoking of weed on health facts. Isn't tobacco less toxic than weed? Weed is not safer than tobacco

Why don't people listen to scientists anymore?

weed is noy a bad drug it treat people with cancer..

anyone who tries to produce a logical argument for why marijuana should be illegal is clearly misinformed. First of all if marijuana were legalized, it would be slightly harder for a 12 year old to get some weed. This is due to the fact that drug dealers do not ask for ID, honestly if all drugs were legal the number of people who use addictive drugs during adolescence would drop. There is not a single bit of evidence that proves that weed is "bad" and in my opinion if marijuana is illegal ONLY because it is unhealthy, then make alcohol and cigs illegal and make them Schedule 1 along with meth, heroine, and cocaine.

I smoke weed on a daily basis and I get As and Bs in school. actually before I smoked weed I was getting Fs and just barely pulling them up to Ds at the end of the year. Also The only time I have ever used any "harder" drugs was when I was drunk, not high.

To the moron that wrote: "Your stupid"

Enough said.

#1 People educate yourselves. #2 Stop smoking tobacco #3 Stop drinking that alcohol. # 4 Shut up and smoke the high grade. You will feel so better after reading this shit . LOL

All the bull shit that the government wants you to believe about weed is totally bogus. I have been a “pot head” for a little over twelve years and I do not have cancer! I do not suffer from any long term memory loss. I have a bachelor’s degree in history and associates in criminal justice. I am currently working on my bachelors in criminal justice and I will continue my education to earn a law degree. The problem with the American public today is that they believe all of the false propaganda that the government is trying to tell them is true. Smoking pot did not make me stupid! I am quit intelligent compared to other people. I am not a criminal, but the people who are against weed say that I am! This is only a great example of the government creating criminals. During prohibition people who drank one day were fine but the next day were criminals. The number one killer of Americans today is tobacco not weed, so people need to do their own research in spite of what of the government tells them to believe. All of the people reading stories of accidents and people dying of marijuana need to look deeper because every case I have seen where an accident happened leading to the death of someone, and the driver was high on weed; I have found that the drive was also drunk, but they never tell you that part of the story. In all actuality I have never reviewed a case where someone died strictly due to the causes of marijuana, anyone who died also were on the influence of another drug! I recommend that everyone do their own research. Don’t worry it won’t kill you to hear the truth!

I love how no one responds to the educated supporters of marijuana because there really is no way to put it down when the facts are clearly stated. It is such a harmless, productive plant that we can no longer afford to have it prohibited because of outdated, improbable myths.

i used to smoke every day and my grades actually went up when i began using marijuana
i have not smoked for about 3 weeks and i am still getting A's and doing well in school. i have not damaged my brain at all and out of all the people i know i have the best memory
marijuana does not change the type of person you are however people who convince themselves that they need it may be different because they are psychologically addicted which is completely brought on by themselves not one bit by the marijuana
the most harmful thing about marijuana is that most people smoke it in order to ingest it but that can be easily avoided by vaporizing it which turns it into pure marijuana vapor and does not damage your airways one bit
you may not be influenced by user comments but you are ignorant and close-minded if you dont actually do research yourself and i know that if you actually read the studies done by scientists instead of listening to government propaganda and spewing the things that were engraved in your mind since you were a child you will not be against it
i, too, used to be against it and never thought i would use it but i was not close-minded and actually did research and looked for myself at what the scientists were saying and realized how safe this drug actually is
the only reason the government is against it is because if it were legalized they would not make much of a profit from it because its so easy to grow and many people would grow their own
this is why tobacco and alcohol are legal because people cant provide those for themselves so the government makes a major profit from the sales
if it is so dangerous and harmful to your brain then tell me how amsterdam survives economically

I love how the people posting here who are against marijuana seem to usually put the person who is in favor of marijuana down. Really, your arguments are so weak that you must stoop down to childish name calling. I myself would not stoop to that level. The support for the legalization/decriminalization of marijuana is ever growing, mostly because people are realizing the truth. Marijuana is not perfect, its not some magical plant, it has its downsides but compared to the already legalized substances (alcohol and tobacco) its health side effects are substantially lower. For all you people who simply want to put people down, do some research for yourself, maybe even try it.......The vast majority of people who are in opposition have never had an actual experience with the drug. I hope that in the future those in opposition can bring forth evidence in support of their argument as opposed to narrow-minded and childish comments.

you know what look at a smoker of tobacco then look at a smoker of weed can you figure out the diffrience cause i know what it is one ask a smoker who smokes daily for a ciggerete then look at a kid 15 16 and see what he dose when he gets some the first thing he dose is calls his or her friends and saies hey man i just got some cool new shit bring your piece and we can smoke some bowl then go and ask a smoker of cigertettes and see what they say some will give it to you and walk away and mabey offer you a light but others will just be like no i see weed as a better thing to do if any of the two even if it is illegaile thats why ill never smoke a ciggerete peace

I don't believe this is a drug I believe this plant, such a tobacco is another thing that causes peace and thoughts of love not anger. Drug dealers and people who test the limits of weed are stupid they give this plant the wrong perspective. How many deaths have occured from weed vs. ALCOHOL which makes not only makes your vision bad but puts bad thoughts into your head like driving drunk, having sex with somebody with out a condom and breaking into stores to get more ALCOHOL lol. I just think it should be LEGAL.

Substance Abuse cannot be primarily attributed to marijuana or any other drug/substance. It is the ‘habit’ / ‘addiction’ that drives a person to keep using the substance/drug to an extent that it becomes an ‘abuse’! Also, as someone mentioned above, it could be as addictive as eating an chocolate. You never know when you start abusing anything.

as a 15 year old american mail living in the heartland of america i have used marijuana recreationaly. At one time I used it every day atleast once if not more, and it was not addictive i have since quit do to my parents. Marijuanna did not cause me to be lazy or not try at school or social activities. It relaxed me and worked as good medicine stress is a main killer in america it causes many health conditions. Maybe with the utilization of marijuanna we can combat theese symptoms and problems. i believe that marijuana can help many citisenze of the united states

wow your a douche bag

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.

the other reasons its not leglazied is that it makes the legal system rich for processing the people who use weed and the reason tobacco is legal is becaus e when they lehglazie d it they could tax it cause they have to process it so you can smoke it als o they cant tax weed caus e all you have to do to it is harvest it and dry it then package it and there you have it weed no labor no nothing tobacco is a long process and you add stuff to it like decon=rat killing pellets and such also it was once legal in america to smoke weed for it was legal in the 1910 or sometime close to that so what the hell happened
alfred manch

I smoke marijuana almost every weekend and afterschool sometimes. I agree that its a mental game because for one, the reason we have laws is becuase of the irresponsible people who make stupid desicions. before I started smokin weed i was stupid as shit and when I started my mind opened more. I have a larger imagination and that helps with school it gives you more creativity as a person. i do alot better in school now and Ive been smokin for about 3 years now =] I do smoke cigs but i was addicted to cigs before i started smokin weed so yeah. and drinkin i would if I was old enough but im not so I don't. being drunk makes you do a lot more stupid things then marijuana definatly.So if people just think before doing these things then maybe our world would have more freedom to smoke marijuana! and for the people I chill wit I dont think that I could fit in wit any other group,i kno people in other kinds of "groups" but i dnt chill wit them. so yeahh smokin weed helps my anxiety and depression. it makes me happy and I fit in wit tha people I chill wit. I have an emotional attachment to marijuana I love it and i always will even if i cant smoke it at some point, ill dream about it........

In high school, I smoked a lot of weed, it wasn't until my junior year that I was introduced to alcohol, and my life went to hell. Before that, I skipped a grade in school, and was set to graduate early, with straight A's. After I started drinking, I began smoking (cigarettes), was introduced to meth, coke, heroin, and slew of other drugs. Personally, I would rather smoke than any of the above. After I got my life back on track, I am now in college again, and majoring in psychology. I still smoke occasionally. I do not push my personal beliefs onto anyone, because they are my own. I also do not appreciate anyone pushing they're beliefs on me. Don't take you're personal problems out on me, if you had a bad experience with pot well, I'm sorry, that's not my problem, I never have. Even though I still smoke on occasion, I still get honors on my work in college, and no one gives me crap for my personal beliefs. Btw, do you know that hemp can be used for several other purposes also? Not just for personal recreation? Our constitution is written on hemp... Here is a quote from our very own first president: "Make the most of the Indian Hemp Seed and sow it everywhere." George Washington So do you're own research before you criticize others. Thank you very much.

im just gunna say this.
Mary Jane is a fuckin natural drug think about it asswipes if there is a GOD he would have wanted us 2 try it and fucking using it....its ther for a damn reason.

Word to that... I am that kid as well... Graduating an entire year early- and not for self indulgement later- but to go to college to study. I just think people have it so wrong to say all these things, create all these stereotypes, and make millions miserable with no legitimate reason.

Medical Marijuana: Unpublished Federal Study Found THC- Treated Rats Lived Longer, Had Less Cancer
John S. James

AIDS TREATMENT NEWS Issue #263, January 17, 1997; Published twice monthly Subscription and Editorial Office: P.O. Box 411256 San Francisco, CA 94141 800/TREAT-1-2 toll-free U.S. and Canada 415/255-0588 regular office number fax: 415/255-4659 Internet: aidsnews@aidsnews.org

AIDS TREATMENT NEWS has obtained a 126-page draft report of a major toxicology study of THC, the main psychoactive ingredient of marijuana. The study was completed over two and a half years ago, and passed peer review for publication, but has been kept quiet until this month, when someone leaked copies of the draft report. As far as we know, the public has never been told about this research -- for example, the drug- reform movement seems not to have known about its existence. This work may have been hushed because its findings are not what the drug-war industry would want.

The study gave huge doses of THC to rats and mice by stomach tube, and looked for cancers and other evidence of toxicity. First there were small toxicity studies, which used enough THC to kill some of the animals; later, two-year studies were run in both rats and mice, using doses which were still much higher than those of marijuana smokers. The two-year studies tested THC in several hundred rats and several hundred mice.

In rats, those given THC had a clear survival advantage over the untreated controls; this effect was statistically significant in all dose groups, and in both males and females. In mice (which were given much larger doses than the rats relative to body weight) there was no survival difference among the groups -- except that those given the highest dose (which was close to the lethal dose for mice) had worse survival.

In both mice and rats, in both males and females, "the incidence of benign and malignant neoplasms ... were decreased in a dose-dependent manner" -- meaning that the more THC the animals were given, the fewer tumors they developed.

The treated animals weighed less than the controls (even though both ate about the same amount of food); the researchers speculated that the lower body weight may have partly accounted for the increased survival and reduced tumors in the THC-treated animals.

The doses were large enough to cause seizures and convulsions in many of the animals, especially when they were dosed or handled. These did not start immediately, but after many weeks, depending on the dose. The researchers looked for brain lesions in animals which had seizures, but found none.

No evidence of carcinogenic activity in the rats, but there was "equivocal evidence" of one kind of thyroid tumor in the mice -- with no evidence of a dose-dependent response. Other tumors were less common in the treated animals than in the controls -- except in one case, which the toxicologists believed was due to the fact that the treated animals lived longer, and therefore had more opportunity to develop tumors.

The report includes a professionally objective review of the biological effects, possible toxicities, and possible medical uses of THC and marijuana.

The title of the report is "NTP Technical Report on the Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of 1-Trans-Delta(9)- Tetrahydrocannabinol (CAS No. 1972-08-3) in F344/N Rats and B6C3F(1) Mice (Gavage Studies)." Over 35 researchers contributed to this study, and 12 others reviewed their work; several institutions, including the National Toxicology Program and SRI International, were involved. The document we received is report NTP TR 446, NIH Publication No. 94-3362, of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ("NTP" stands for National Toxicology Program, which is made up of four Federal agencies within Health and Human Services.) Each page of the draft is stamped "not for distribution or attribution." In addition to the 126-page document we have reviewed here, there are 11 appendices, which we have not seen.

According to the draft, the report will be available from NTP Central Data Management, 919/541-1371. AIDS TREATMENT NEWS requested a copy of the final report when it is ready, and also requested a copy of the draft. Now that the existence of the report has become publicly known, we have heard that draft copies are being sent if requested -- despite the notice on each page not to distribute them.

Comment

It would be wrong to interpret this study as showing a beneficial or protective effect of marijuana. The animals were given very large doses, resulting in substantially lower body weight, which may itself have caused much of the survival and tumor improvements. Also, this study used THC, not marijuana smoke -- which like any smoke contains many chemicals, some of which are likely to be harmful.

But the study does provide strong evidence that there is no significant cancer risk (if any at all) from the main psychoactive ingredient of marijuana; any such risk would be from incidental substances in the smoke. And if there is such a risk, the modern high-potency marijuana would likely reduce it, by reducing the amount of smoke required to obtain the desired effect.

Also, there is no known case of any human death from overdose of marijuana or THC, or from any other acute toxicity of these substances -- a remarkable safety record, compared with alcohol, aspirin, or many other common drugs. (The toxicology report does not say there have been no deaths, but the authors listed none, after doing an exhaustive survey of the literature.)

The literature review on the effects of THC and marijuana shows how medical research has been politically skewed (although the paper itself does not state this point). There are almost no studies of possible medical uses of marijuana, but many studies looking for possible harm. Any positive findings, therefore, can be used to support the drug war -- while negative findings (those which fail to show any effect) are usually ignored. Although many doctors and patients have reported important medical benefits, scientific studies of medicinal use have seldom been allowed to happen, since positive findings could challenge the official public- relations tactic of demonization. The drug war itself has controlled the medical research agenda, since it controls legal access to marijuana. Like most permanent wars, it strives for self preservation.

The newly available Federal toxicology study provides the best evidence yet that the risks of THC are small. What other drug would increase life expectancy of rats when given in huge overdoses daily for two years? The recent Federal attacks on medical marijuana -- against doctors and desperately ill patients -- are needlessly cruel, and bizarrely inappropriate to scientific and medical understanding.

May 3, 2004

Dutch drug policies do not increase marijuana use, first rigorous comparative study finds

By Jennifer McNulty

In the first rigorous study comparing marijuana use in the Netherlands and the United States, researchers have found no evidence that decriminalization of marijuana leads to increased drug use. The results suggest that drug policies may have less impact on marijuana use than is currently thought.

In Amsterdam, coffeeshops can be licensed to sell hashish and marijuana in small quantities for personal consumption by adults. Photo by Janice Tetlow

The findings appear in the May issue of the American Journal of Public Health. Craig Reinarman, professor of sociology at UCSC, coauthored the article, “The Limited Relevance of Drug Policy: Cannabis in Amsterdam and in San Francisco,” with Peter D. A. Cohen, director of the Centre for Drug Research (CEDRO) at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and Hendrien L. Kaal, now an instructor at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands.

The study compared the cannabis (marijuana and hashish) habits of users in Amsterdam and San Francisco to test the premise that punishment for cannabis use deters use and thereby benefits public health.

“We compared representative samples of experienced marijuana users to see whether the lawful availability of marijuana did, in fact, lead to the problems critics of the Dutch system have claimed,” said Reinarman. “We found no evidence that it does. In fact, we found consistently strong similarities in patterns of marijuana use, despite vastly different national drug policies.”

Highlights of the study include:

• The mean age at onset of use was 16.95 years in Amsterdam and 16.43 years in San Francisco.

• The mean age at which respondents began using marijuana more than once per month was 19.11 years in Amsterdam and 18.81 years in San Francisco.

• In both cities, users began their periods of maximum use about two years after they began regular use: 21.46 years in Amsterdam and 21.98 years in San Francisco.

• About 75 percent in both cities had used cannabis less than once per week or not at all in the year before the interview.

• Majorities of experienced users in both cities never used marijuana daily or in large amounts even during their periods of peak use, and use declined after those peak periods.

The Netherlands effectively decriminalized marijuana use in 1976, and it is available for purchase in small quantities by adults in licensed coffee shops; in the United States, marijuana use carries stiff criminal penalties, and more than 720,000 people were arrested for marijuana offenses in 2001.

The study was funded by the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Dutch Ministry of Health.

In identical questionnaires administered in Amsterdam and San Francisco (cities chosen for their similarities as politically liberal northern port cities with universities and populations of roughly 700,000 people), nearly 500 respondents who had used marijuana at least 25 times were asked detailed questions about their marijuana use. The questionnaire explored such issues as age at first use, regular and maximum use, frequency and quantity of use over time, intensity and duration of intoxication, career use patterns, and use of other illicit drugs.

“In the United States, marijuana policy is based on the assertion that strict penalties are the best way to inhibit use,” said Reinarman.

The study’s findings cast doubt on that scenario, he said. Despite widespread lawful availability of cannabis in Amsterdam, there were no differences between the two cities in age at onset of use, age at first regular use, or age at the start of maximum use.

The study found no evidence that lawfully regulated cannabis provides a “gateway” to other illicit drug use. In fact, marijuana users in San Francisco were far more likely to have used other illicit drugs--cocaine, crack, amphetamines, ecstasy, and opiates--than users in Amsterdam, said Reinarman.

“The results of this study shift the burden of proof now to those who would arrest hundreds of thousands of Americans each year on the grounds that it deters use,” said Reinarman.

I'm not argueing, i think. HAW HAW, but weed is my main drug and i like the feeling i never did anything stupid enough to get to jail or shit it made me calm, they should legalize it!

WEED IS FUN!!!!

There never was a gateway property, inherent to Marijuana itself. It was nothing more than a backwards correlation fallacy, and statistical manipulation.
In reality, only 1 in 100 Marijuana users ever try anything harder, that's just 1%, certainly not enough to suggest Marijuana was the cause of it. And even LESS than that actually stick with a harder drug, becoming users of it. For most, Marijuana is the end of the line, they don't care for anything harder.

AT THE VERY MOST, It is the Prohibition of Marijuana, which contributes to people trying harder drugs. If it was legal, this would not be the case.
Prohibition creates unregulated black markets for it, and those dealers push harder drugs. Which wouldn't happen under legalization.
Prohibition forces drug tests on TONS of people... and since Marijuana is the EASIEST to detect drug, users sometimes start using harder drugs, because they wont get caught as easilly. The list of why prohibition causes this, goes on for a while.

Legalization solves more problems than Prohibition... Prohibition is counterproductive towards it's own goals, hypocritical, creates more problems than the drug does, and is unfair in a free society.