Pro-pot ad hits airwaves; opponents say it’s a gateway drug
California is broke and there is no hiding it. The state has been issuing IOUs because it does not have the money it needs to pay off its debts. So some are saying that marijuana is the answer to the California budget woes.
This week a pro-pot group launched an ad that encourages legislatures to legalize marijuana according to and SDNN.com article.
Marijuana however is a controversial topic, because it is illegal in the United States and to some is considered a gateway drug that leads to addiction of harder drugs like heroin and cocaine.
A local California agency conducted a poll stating that people who are under 18 who have smoked marijuana are more likely to move onto the harder drugs. Therefore, they say that more than half of the California youth population is at risk for becoming hard drug users.
The article states:
“In California, 45 percent or 12.4 million adults have tried marijuana compared to 48 percent or 105 million nationally. The poll also found that Southern California residents are more likely to have used drugs.”
The pro-pot group thinks that naysayers are too rough on the drug and do not believe that marijuana is a stepping stone drug to other hard drugs. The group believes that alcohol consumption is more dangerous than smoking marijuana.
“The pro-legalizing-pot-ad will air on several cable news channels and network broadcast affiliates in Los Angeles, Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay area, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.”
So what do you think? Is marijuana a dangerous gateway drug, or just a substance that has a bad reputation? Does it lead to hard drug use and the need for drug rehab in the future?
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Yes, marijuana can and does lead to addiction and the use of other drugs.