Marijuana: The Great Gateway Drug
I don’t know if any drug can really be considered a gateway for another drug in terms of indicating a one-to-one response. That is, when someone takes drug A, then they definitely take drug B.
As soon as you fall away from this strict definition, however, the gateway world gets very hazy, particularly where marijuana is concerned. There are many conflicting reports and studies.
A Lack of Guidance and Ritual Payment
When people get involved with taking marijuana in an unbalanced way and their lives get confused and messed up, and they go on to harder drugs that confuse and mess their lives up even more, the shamans usually point to a lack of guidance and ritual payment as the cause.
Balance in the Gateway
Most of the undesirable effects of marijuana come from unbalanced use over time. The more positive influences and orientations a person can build into her/his life, the easier it is to transform those bummer highs into something positive. It’s just like any relationship. The more positive history and context that s/he can build into any relationship, then the easier it is to ride out the tough spots.
This article was some of the original material that went on to become
Marijuana Syndromes
How to Balance and Optimize
the Effects of Cannabis
With Traditional Chinese Medicine
Marijuana and Addiction Index
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More Resources
Does Medical Marijuana Increase or Decrease Prescription Drug Use?
Marijuana may lead non-smokers to begin to smoke tobacco...
A study of the
gateway effect of marijuana in teens.
Good news about the
progression from marijuana to ‘harder’ drugs across generations...
Some research indicates that the
gateway effect has more to do with age and ethnicity than marijuana...
Environmental influences also have a great deal to do with the progression of drug abuse...
And let’s not forget to take a look at
Malt Liquor as a factor, although what is described here may point to an indicator, rather than a causative agent.
And how
nicotine is in fact a primary gateway catalyst on a molecular level for drugs such as cocaine...
Is tobacco a gateway drug for cannabis use?
This study delivers a
conclusive, qualified maybe to the cannabis gateway issue...
Is marijuana a gateway drug for women?
Marijuana users are 5 times more likely to develop alcohol problems than non-marijuana users...
Marijuana use is associated with increased risk of developing alcohol and drug use disorders, including nicotine dependence.
Family life matters more than school life when it comes to some things...
New research finds that medical and adult-use cannabis laws can be associated with lower opioid prescribing rates...
For extensive details on how to balance and optimize the effects of cannabis using Traditional Chinese Medicine, please refer to
Marijuana Syndromes
How to Balance and Optimize
the Effects of Cannabis
With Traditional Chinese Medicine
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