Back in my glory days of
D.A.R.E, one of the heaviest charges leveled against
pot was that was was a gateway drug. It was filled with stories (delightfully decorated with Simpson-esque illustrations) of kids who tried
marijuana and went on to become
crack-smoking heroin junkies. Indeed, the
statistics they used were true, and appeared to back up their claims. Such claims have't been left in the mid-90s, either. Just a few weeks ago I read an advertisement proclaiming that 99% of people who have used
heroin tried pot first. This is a prime example of manipulative
statistics.
After all, why wouldn't someone smoke pot? Because they fear short term memory loss, perhaps, or do not wish to break the law. If a person did not care about these consequences, then they would probably find no reason not to become a
pothead (unless they had no
money). Someone who takes
heroin has already proven they don't give a
shit about their body or the law.
In summery, it is difficult to imagine a reason a
junkie wouldn't smoke pot. The same could be said for almost any gateway drug argument. The entire idea is just
bullshit concocted by people whose job it is to nullify pot consumption.