Gateway Drugs

[endotropic]

Having known some heroin users and marihuana users, I can say that I observed no rush towards "hard drugs" like amphetamines, cocaine, or heroin in the group of marihuana smokers. But also I observed that marihuana use among heroin users was scarce.

There's one simple test one can perform. Stand not far from the entrance to the MMT programme point, then walk up to some junkies there and ask them if they could get you some weed. They may have various prescriptions for morphine, tramadol, clonazepam for sale, they may have clonazepam pills which are kind of a currency around there (e.g. one can buy syrup from them paying in pills instead of money), they have contacts for heroin, some shitty speed, and that's all.

A vast majority have never smoked weed but as you look at them, it seems like everyone smokes tobacco...

And if I'm to talk about myself, well, the first time I smoked marihuana was long long after I tried morphine, a lot of other opioids, and heroin. Should I say opioids got me into marihuana? I see no connection between marihuana effects and heroin effects, so if there exist any path from marihuana to heroin, it clearly isn't there because marihuana smokers at some point feel that marihuana is not enough for them any more and heroin will be a great substitute. This is nonsense. If someone proceeds to heroin from marihuana, then maybe he's just a type of person who likes to be f...ed up and it doesn't matter what makes him/her feel that way.

So because you used opiates before marijuana its impossible that some people smoke pot to the point of boredom and progressively work their way up? That's ridiculous. I've personally watched enough of my peers progress from "pure" pot smokers, to full on poly-drug abusers to know that it's a definite possibility. I'm not saying that everyone that smokes pot will go on to use harder drugs, that's equally ridiculous, but it's really hard to deny that there are people who smoke pot regularly for years with no other drugs, get bored, and move on to other things.

 

[alkap555]

Having known some heroin users and marihuana users, I can say that I observed no rush towards "hard drugs" like amphetamines, cocaine, or heroin in the group of marihuana smokers. But also I observed that marihuana use among heroin users was scarce.

There's one simple test one can perform. Stand not far from the entrance to the MMT programme point, then walk up to some junkies there and ask them if they could get you some weed. They may have various prescriptions for morphine, tramadol, clonazepam for sale, they may have clonazepam pills which are kind of a currency around there (e.g. one can buy syrup from them paying in pills instead of money), they have contacts for heroin, some shitty speed, and that's all.

A vast majority have never smoked weed but as you look at them, it seems like everyone smokes tobacco...

And if I'm to talk about myself, well, the first time I smoked marihuana was long long after I tried morphine, a lot of other opioids, and heroin. Should I say opioids got me into marihuana? I see no connection between marihuana effects and heroin effects, so if there exist any path from marihuana to heroin, it clearly isn't there because marihuana smokers at some point feel that marihuana is not enough for them any more and heroin will be a great substitute. This is nonsense. If someone proceeds to heroin from marihuana, then maybe he's just a type of person who likes to be f...ed up and it doesn't matter what makes him/her feel that way.

I'm not saying "if you smoke weed you will become a heroin addict," because frankly, that is retarded. But from what I have seen AND EXPERIENCED first hand, as well as some quite compelling scientific research, it seems as though there may in fact be a subtle "gateway effect" from cannabis. I have no agenda and am not trying to argue one way or the other, I simply presented some literature that was relevant to the discussion--this is ADD after all.

BTW: Your're not the only one who has first and second hand experience with soft and hard drug use/abuse/addiction. I happen to come from a place that is saturated in high quality heroin, and have seen two of my closest friends go from harmless potheads in high school to full-scale IV heroin addicts, one of whom has OD'd 4 or 5 times. I too have used opioids on and off for the past 4 years or so (starting w/ Rx percocets for herniated discs), and I also started as a heavy pot smoker in high school until I stopped enjoying weed around 2nd year of undergrad.

Before you get your panties in a bunch, however, I know just as many kids who have been potheads for years and haven't moved onto any hard drugs.

This is all I know for sure: If you were to divide all of my friends into two groups, those that DO smoke pot and those that DON'T, the rate of hard drug use is far higher in those that DO smoke pot (or used heavily at some point in the past).

The end.

 

[negrogesic]

These sort of behavior science questions may not be suited here. Soft science and hard drugs have poor working relationship....

Being one of the few statistical oddities, I first used morphine at the end of high school before I had ever smoked marijuana or abused any drug for recreational. Add to this, I did it in the absence of any social pressure or identifiable factor of influence. Further, I wholly enjoyed the very first dose of morphine, and only when it became unavailable did I venture to the 'lesser' drugs of abuse (marijuana, psychedelics, stimulants).

But again, the notion of gateway drugs ventures too far into that which cannot be measured or clearly demonstrated, and is a topic better suited for a sociology lecture or an undergraduate psychology paper.

 

[NeighborMike]

I feel like its pretty simple

If you like to get high youre more then likely to try things that will get you higher

 

[alkap555]

I am reposting this b/c this is ADD...and as soon as I posted actual scientific research rather than purely speculative opinions, nobody seemed to notice (or care). You gotta back up your statements with evidence people!:

I understand what y'all are saying, but there is some interesting research about CB1 agonists (i.e. THC etc) increasing drug-seeking behavior and self-administration of other dopaminergic and opioidergic (rewarding) drugs.

Here is one paper:

Cannabinoid receptor stimulation increases motivation for nicotine and nicotine seeking

....These findings indicate that cannabinoid CB1-receptor stimulation increases the reinforcing effects of nicotine and precipitates relapse to nicotine-seeking behaviour in abstinent subjects. Thus, modulating CB1-receptor signalling might have therapeutic value for treating nicotine dependence.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21521420

And this paper demonstrates that antagonizing the CB1 receptor reduces reinstatement of heroin-seeking behavior:

Cannabinoid CB(1) antagonist SR 141716A attenuates reinstatement of heroin self-administration in heroin-abstinent rats

Results of this study showed that (i) priming injections of heroin (0.1 mg/kg) as well as CB(1) agonists WIN 55,212-2 (0.15 or 0.30 mg/kg) and CP 55,940 (0.05 or 0.1 mg/kg) completely restore heroin-seeking behaviour; (ii) primings of naloxone (1 mg/kg) and SR 141716A (0.3 mg/kg) had no effect when administered alone; (iii) heroin-induced reinstatement was fully prevented by pre-treatment with either naloxone or SR 141716A; (iv) pre-treatment with SR 141716A significantly reduced WIN 55,212-2 and CP 55,940 priming effects. These results suggest that cannabinoid CB(1) receptors play an important role in the mechanisms underlying relapse to heroin-seeking and depict CB(1) antagonists as possible therapeutic agents for use in the prevention of relapse to heroin abuse

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15910886

So as much as I would like to believe that smoking weed doesn't 'prime' the brain to seek out other rewarding drugs, there is considerable evidence suggesting that it may indeed act as somewhat of a gateway drug. At the very least, it doesn't look like THC would decrease use of other drugs.