Lies, the Real Gateway Drug!
Marijuana has long been called a Gateway Drug! But, is it really? As things are today, the answer is, yes . . . But, not because of what you would think. The true reason marijuana seems to open the gate to other drugs is the lies that are told to us from the beginning, when we are young.
By maintaining marijuana to be a "gateway" drug in the current context, our government has done more to undermine respect for law & order than anything else!
When children are young, they have a natural respect for the law! Ask any child what they want to be when they grow up & they will tell you a fireman, a policeman, a doctor, a soldier or any other honorable type of person. Not one will tell you that they want to grow up to become a drug addict.
And as they grow up, they use daily interactions & experiences to evaluate the validity of rules & regulations imposed upon them. We all agree that we must not steal, murder, rape, etc. And, of course we are told not to do drugs, lest we become a drug addict! And, marijuana is clumped into the same category of drugs as heroin, cocaine, opioids, etc.
But then, one day, a friend asks you if you want a "hit" of their marijuana joint! Of course, your initial reply is, "No, that is a drug and against the law," because that is what your parents, teachers, etc. had always told you. But, your friend insists that it is something that you will really enjoy, and that there is nothing wrong with it. So, eventually you decide to give it a try. And, to your surprise, it is very pleasant! It is nothing like what these other people said it was like! You realize it is a natural herb that was put on this earth for our use.
That is when the thoughts begin . . . "What else have I been told that may be untrue?"
So, at a later time when someone asks if you would like to try to try other drugs, you tend to think "Maybe if I was lied to about marijuana, maybe they lied to me about these other drugs."
That is when the "gateway drug" becomes fact. Because of the original lie that has been proven false, you decide to go through that gate. But, it has nothing to do with the actual influence marijuana had on the individual! It is all about the original lie!
It seems our government has set the bar too low! Marijuana should be taken off of the Schedule 1 Narcotics list. Acknowledge marijuana’s medicinal and social qualities . . . And restore the faith in our legal system by putting emphasis on what needs to be enforced & what simply needs to be regulated!
Continue to explain that marijuana is not for children, like alcohol. But, be truthful about it! Don’t equate it to hard drugs! We currently have an opioid epidemic in this country. And, the pharmaceutical companies have perpetuated it by pushing their pain pills like candy, when marijuana can alleviate many of these same symptoms with no addictive qualities!
The answer is to Legalize marijuana (tax & regulate it) & increase penalties for other drugs! Create a distinction between them. If we tell the truth about marijuana it will in turn increase the belief in true laws of the land!
Marijuana has long been called a Gateway Drug! But, is it really? As things are today, the answer is, yes . . . But, not because of what you would think. The true reason marijuana seems to open the gate to other drugs is the lies that are told to us from the beginning, when we are young.
By maintaining marijuana to be a "gateway" drug in the current context, our government has done more to undermine respect for law & order than anything else!
When children are young, they have a natural respect for the law! Ask any child what they want to be when they grow up & they will tell you a fireman, a policeman, a doctor, a soldier or any other honorable type of person. Not one will tell you that they want to grow up to become a drug addict.
And as they grow up, they use daily interactions & experiences to evaluate the validity of rules & regulations imposed upon them. We all agree that we must not steal, murder, rape, etc. And, of course we are told not to do drugs, lest we become a drug addict! And, marijuana is clumped into the same category of drugs as heroin, cocaine, opioids, etc.
But then, one day, a friend asks you if you want a "hit" of their marijuana joint! Of course, your initial reply is, "No, that is a drug and against the law," because that is what your parents, teachers, etc. had always told you. But, your friend insists that it is something that you will really enjoy, and that there is nothing wrong with it. So, eventually you decide to give it a try. And, to your surprise, it is very pleasant! It is nothing like what these other people said it was like! You realize it is a natural herb that was put on this earth for our use.
That is when the thoughts begin . . . "What else have I been told that may be untrue?"
So, at a later time when someone asks if you would like to try to try other drugs, you tend to think "Maybe if I was lied to about marijuana, maybe they lied to me about these other drugs."
That is when the "gateway drug" becomes fact. Because of the original lie that has been proven false, you decide to go through that gate. But, it has nothing to do with the actual influence marijuana had on the individual! It is all about the original lie!
It seems our government has set the bar too low! Marijuana should be taken off of the Schedule 1 Narcotics list. Acknowledge marijuana’s medicinal and social qualities . . . And restore the faith in our legal system by putting emphasis on what needs to be enforced & what simply needs to be regulated!
Continue to explain that marijuana is not for children, like alcohol. But, be truthful about it! Don’t equate it to hard drugs! We currently have an opioid epidemic in this country. And, the pharmaceutical companies have perpetuated it by pushing their pain pills like candy, when marijuana can alleviate many of these same symptoms with no addictive qualities!
The answer is to Legalize marijuana (tax & regulate it) & increase penalties for other drugs! Create a distinction between them. If we tell the truth about marijuana it will in turn increase the belief in true laws of the land!
