The Marijuana Debate - "Is Marijuana a Gateway Drug?"

Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States. The perceived social acceptability and availability of marijuana has led to a tremendous rise in its consumption by adolescents and young adults – especially over the last decade. This has given way to the consideration that marijuana is by-in-large a gateway drug to harder illicit chemicals. Whether this is in fact the case is considerably debated –not because of the fact that there is a shortage of data that tells us that these adolescents and young adults are more likely to abuse harder drugs at some point in their lifetime – but rather because the reasons for this trend are somewhat debatable to the people directly involved in the debate themselves; users of the drug marijuana and the observers of people who use the drug marijuana. However, given that the majority of people who are on the side of the debate that it does not lead to harder drugs are in fact users of the drug themselves – the arguments presented on this side are somewhat erroneous and inconsistent with the facts on the subject of whether or not marijuana is in fact a gateway drug…particularly for adolescents and young adults.

The debate around the dangers of marijuana consumption arises out of the history of marijuana in the United States. Upon mainstream introduction of marijuana in the 1960’s, marijuana potency was minimal, which contributed to the idea that it was a harmless, naturally occurring drug that had a low potential for abuse. However low-potency marijuana no longer really exists so the arguments presented by users of the drug are certainly no longer relevant what considering its chemical impact on adolescents and young adults.

Facts about Marijuana Potency (THC Concentration Comparable)

1960’s                  Average concentration of THC 0.4% - 1%

1970 – 1990        Average concentration of THC 3.2% - 4.7%

2008                      Highest concentration of THC 37.2%

Over the course of the last 50 years, marijuana has become increasingly more potent as growing techniques have significantly increased the delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content in marijuana. It is no longer the harmless drug offered up as an alternative to the heavy sedative affects of alcohol as it was in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

The trends of people seeking treatment have steadily risen since the social introduction of marijuana in the United States and more and more of these people are seeking treatment for hard illicit drugs such as cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, Oxycontin and prescription drugs – and more and more these people are reporting that the first drug they used was marijuana. In fact, more addicts of hard illicit drugs report that they first used marijuana before the consumed alcohol.

It is a verifiable fact that marijuana leads to other drugs and it is an absolute fact that marijuana by itself demonstrates a harmful potential for abuse among adolescents and young adults.

It is also a fact that current trends as monitored by the Federal Government are showing increased use of marijuana by adolescents and young adults.

Marijuana is a Gateway Drug

Below credit NIDA research monograph, “2007 Monitoring the Future Survey”

What are the Effects of Marijuana?

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the primary chemical in marijuana. THC is a chemical that acts in the brain and produces a wide variety of effects on specific sites in the brain called cannabinoid receptors. Some areas of the brain have numerous cannabinoid receptors; others have limited or no such receptors. The area of the brain which has the highest density of these receptors are found in areas that influence pleasure, memory, thoughts, concentration, sensory and time perception and movement coordination.

Because of the location of the highest concentration of cannabinoid receptors, the “high” from marijuana causes distorted perceptions, impaired coordination, difficulty in problem solving and thinking, and problems with memory and retained learning.

Research has shown that marijuana’s adverse impacts on memory and retained learning can last for days – even weeks – after the acute effects of the “high” wear off. This suggests that someone smoking marijuana everyday will probably function at a suboptimal intellectual level all of the time.

Research additionally shows that the long-term effects of marijuana abuse indicates some changes in the brain similar to those seen after long-term abuse of harder illicit drugs.

Marijuana Addiction and Abuse Treatment

The treatment methods for marijuana addiction and marijuana abuse need to be specific and targeted based on two relevant factors; the age of the abuser and the circumstances surrounding the need for treatment. In other words, it is important that the treatment be delivered to young adults within the constructs of their youthful belief systems and that the treatment be individuated in a way that will meet the social, legal, vocational/educational  and interpersonal issues impacting their ability to maintain a sustainable recovery process.

More often than not, young marijuana abusers and addicts have a difficult time calling themselves addicts. It can be even more difficult for them to see that marijuana is a gateway drug and that they are in a progressive addictive cycle that will most likely get worse over time.

ARC addresses these issues by differentiating treatment for drug abuse v. drug addiction. This more comprehensive clinical approach to treating marijuana addiction and marijuana abuse has proven much more effective than the treatment offered in traditional drug and alcohol treatment settings.

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