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One of the main recurring arguments against legalizing marijuana is that it is a "gateway drug": people who try it are more likely to go on to harder drugs like
by tikhonj 11y ago
One of the main recurring arguments against legalizing marijuana is that it is a "gateway drug": people who try it are more likely to go on to harder drugs like opium or cocaine. This means that some people legitimately believe that legalizing it would get more people into these other drugs and increase the overall number of drug crimes.
It doesn't really make sense to me, but it seems to be one of the most common rationalizations for being against legalization.
- intopieces 11y ago>This means that some people legitimately believe that legalizing it would get more people into these other drugs and increase the overall number of drug crimes. Okay, but according to the ACLU 52% of drug arrests are for marijuana. I know we've already exited the realm of logic with the gateway drug theory but to believe that legalizing marijuana would result in an instant increase in drug arrests -- that is, enough to overtake the majority of drug arrests in a single category, seems patently absurd. [0]https://www.aclu.org/gallery/marijuana-arrests-numbers https://www.aclu.org/gallery/marijuana-arrests-numbers
- betenoire 11y agoYes, that idea is silly and that's why none of us have seen anyone making such a polemic argument. I think you know the answer, people vote with emotion, not with facts.
- xur17 11y agoShouldn't we really be looking at the growth in usage of other drugs in that case?