Cannabis is a gateway to… (Reddit answers!)

Is cannabis a gateway drug? from weed

Before proceeding with this article, I think it’s important to clarify that the “gateway theory” has been debunked for decades. If you’re not sure what the Gateway Theory is, it essentially states that if someone smokes cannabis and experiences euphoria, they become “addicted” to that feeling. Is Cannabis a Gateway Drug or a Reverse Gateway Drug?

However, as tolerance to cannabis increases and the euphoric half-life decreases, the theory suggests that because of the addiction to the euphoria, users would end up using harder drugs – eventually becoming heroin junkies and ultimately creating a distress for society.

Sounds doable…on paper. However, when you consider that in 2019, almost one in five Americans admitted to using cannabis. That’s almost 50 million people. In all probability, however, this number is even higher.

If the Gateway Theory were true, it would mean that these 50 million+ people would be using harder drugs all the time, but that’s not the case. In fact, most cannabis users tend to distance themselves from other drugs, including alcohol, once they start using it more regularly.

I know that I have personally reduced my alcohol consumption drastically. I wasn’t a heavy drinker before (except for a period between the ages of 18 and 23) but when I started smoking cannabis again more regularly [I took a break for a few years] – my alcohol consumption has of course leveled off.

Why?

I didn’t like hangovers…I still don’t, which is why I prefer cannabis. My tolerance level is high enough to consume and predict how high I would be and for how long. It has become a very “efficient” drug and has generally made me more productive.

Like me, many cannabis users have taken a similar route to reducing their use of “other” drugs, meaning cannabis is more of an “exit drug” than a “gateway drug.”

Now that you’ve covered the basics of Gateway Theory, let’s get to the heart of today’s article – How Reddit Responded to the Prompt… “Cannabis is a Gateway to…”

Cannabis Users Respond To The Gateway Theory…

Since we’ve determined that the gateway theory is a malarkey, the following responses are from some Reddit folks who discovered that marijuana is actually a gateway!

“A_Guy_Lurking” said; “Made me realize I like salmon,” which is an interesting point and very relatable. There are many foods that I used to dislike before smoking weed, but now I enjoy them immensely.

First of all, I became more tolerant of vegetarian food. I used to be a pure meat eater, but now my food choices are much wider. I still eat meat, but I might as well make a big salad with fresh ingredients from my garden – maybe a cannabis leaf or two, some weed-infused olive oil… yummy!

Point is, like “Mr. Lurking,” suggested cannabis, can be a gateway to a wider range of edibles. You may be surprised at what you end up enjoying while under the influence of cannabis.

The “Poop Sock Finder” who hopefully didn’t find any poop socks… chimed in with a few tips on how to taste salmon in sheer glory;

“I go upstairs and catch them every fall, I’ve prepared salmon just about every way imaginable, my favorite is to melt some brown sugar in a tiny piece of bacon and glaze the salmon with it 10/10”; and when asked if there were “best practices” around salmon, he said: “I think grilling/smoking is by far the best way to cook almost any meat.”

A piece of good advice from a Reddit man is “Poop Sock Finder”.

Added “Okay_Image6174” in her own recipe;

Have you tried grilled salmon over a salad? It’s one of my favorite foods. I make a salad with spring greens, spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, grated carrots, and an olive oil or Italian vinaigrette. Top it with a Lemon Pepper Grilled Salmon Filet, delicious, filling and healthy!!

What sounds taste AF! It also seems that going through this thread, the only thing Cannabis Gateways has is an appetite.

Further down the comments section, people turned the conversation to alcohol, which one Redditor dubbed “The Devil’s Juice.” “DoingMeJustVibing” agreed; “I can get damn high and still be okay the next day. I drink a bottle of wine and pay the price for the next 2/3 days. I can not”.

This corresponds to the sentiment I mentioned earlier. People tend to steer clear of these harder drugs once they start using cannabis more frequently. This is especially true the older we are called “aequisaint”;

“I’m approaching 40 and up until the last year or so I never really got into weed. It was only a few times a year at most because I always preferred drinking and couldn’t mix the two without getting sick. Now that I’m getting older, hangovers are a lot easier and a lot worse than they used to be, and I’ve cut back on my alcohol consumption drastically. I’ve also found a love for weed, so that works well.”

Returning to the narrative of cannabis being a gateway drug, Aimheatcool had this to say;

“Cannabis is a gateway to peace, relaxation, clarity, pain relief and creativity. It allows us to see how the world could be instead of what it is.”

I think that sentiment is mostly correct. Most people use cannabis to relieve pain, manage anxiety and as a “creative sauce”. I often use cannabis for work. As I mentioned earlier, cannabis has made me more productive.

Of course, that’s not the case for everyone, but if you’re into creative (and sometimes very mechanical) pursuits like me – then cannabis can become a definite “work booster” and, for me, a means to unplug at the end of the day.

Finally we have “Mischief_N_MaryJane” which commented on the true origins of the Gateway Theory;

I’ve been high for two decades and no, cannabis is not a gateway drug. That’s propaganda jargon from the 80’s.

As BreadFruitRich6931 explained;

First Lady Regan’s propaganda: There are so many people in prison because she wanted her husband to stay in office.

The propaganda was fed to many children via the DARE platform in the US.

Cannabis is NOT a “gateway” to anything other than what it does to help the person with their food. Or, when used recreationally, it’s better than any alcohol.

At this point came a number of posts pointing to the ineffectiveness of the DARE programs. Children today are no longer subjected to the “just say no” campaigns that were drummed into teenagers in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.

It was CelereMort who hit the nail on the head;

Personally, I tried marijuana before trying LCD. I don’t think I would have tried LCD if it wasn’t for marijuana. I wouldn’t call it a gateway drug though. It wasn’t because I wanted something stronger, but I realized that if you can avoid addiction and do it in an appropriate environment, it’s not necessarily so bad to just try.

last words

The first drug most of us actually take is “sugar.” If we base an argument on the chemical makeup of a substance that activates the “reward mechanism” in our brains, it’s safe to say that if parents send their kids trick-or-treating every year, they’re basically condoning the candy equivalent of having one bag of coke chasing the sunrise!

Interestingly, sugar behaves similarly to cocaine, as one study found;

“Sugar consumption has effects similar to cocaine, altering mood, possibly through its ability to induce reward and pleasure, leading to sugar seeking,” they write, citing rodent studies showing that sweetness is preferred even to cocaine, and that mice can experience sugar withdrawal. – SOURCE

However, as pointed out in this article, the notion that sugar is as addictive as cocaine is not established science. However, it cannot be denied that sugar is addictive and changes our brain chemistry.

Assuming the Gateway Theory is correct, that would mean everyone started with sugar and looked for ways to “chase the high.”

If you think that sounds ridiculous, then welcome to the vast majority of freethinkers in this world. The fact is, people can become addicted to just about anything. It simply takes the right mind and opportunity to become “addicted” to an activity or substance.

Unfortunately, this belief is still widespread in political circles – which could be one reason why cannabis is still not legal worldwide. The old programming still lingers in the collective hive consciousness of humanity.

Luckily, the younger generation of kids is growing up with a different mindset than those who banned cannabis in the first place. Tomorrow’s children will never know a world without cannabis.

CANNABIS AS A GATEWAY DRUG, READ MORE…

GATEWAY DRUG THEORY, CHECK THE SCIENCE

CHECK THE SCIENCE ON THE GATEWAY DRUG THEORY!

OR..

REVERSE GATEWAY THEORY

WHAT IS THE CANNABIS REVERSE GATEWAY THEORY?

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