Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States and is said to be a “gateway” to other drugs. A gateway drug is defined as, a habit-forming drug that, while not itself is addictive, may lead to the use of other addictive drugs. Although Robert L. DuPont, president of the Institute for Behavior and Health and the first director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, believes that marijuana has been proven to be a gateway drug because "people who are addicted to marijuana are three times more likely to be addicted to heroin," the reality is that this is correlation at best. While some are convinced marijuana is a gateway drug, others believe that it is not.” Many people assume marijuana is a gateway drug because it is …show more content…
While some believe marijuana is a gateway drug, Robert Dupont, the president of the Institute for Behavior and Health and the first director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, believes, “Establishing it as a third legal drug, along with tobacco and alcohol, will increase drug abuse, including the expanding opioid epidemic”. Like nearly all people with substance abuse problems, most heroin users started their drug use early in their teens, usually beginning with alcohol and marijuana. The vast majority of heroin users reported to have used marijuana (and many other drugs) not only long before they used heroin but while they are using heroin. According to Dupont in The New York Times, marijuana use is positively correlated with alcohol use and cigarette use, as well as illegal drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine. However, this does not mean that everyone who uses marijuana will transition to using heroin or other drugs, but it does mean that people who use marijuana also consume more, not less, legal and illegal drugs than do people who do not use marijuana. Dupont goes on to explain and believe that legalizing marijuana will have lasting negative effects on future generations. The currently legal drugs, alcohol and tobacco, are two of the leading causes of preventable illness and death in the country. And he suspects that establishing marijuana as a third legal drug will increase the national drug abuse problem, including expanding the opioid epidemic. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that people who are addicted to marijuana are three times more likely to be addicted to