Pubdate: Sat, 07 Sep 2002
Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB)
Copyright: 2002, Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact:  http://www.fyiedmonton.com/htdocs/edmsun.shtml
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/135
Author: Shane Holladay

COPS STICK BY WATERED-DOWN FACTS

A condensed version of the facts in no way impairs the Canadian Police 
Association's argument that pot is a "gateway" drug, says executive 
director David Griffin.

In its submission to the special Senate committee that ultimately favoured 
legalizing pot, the CPA cited a U.S. National Academy of Sciences study.

"Not surprisingly, most users of other illicit drugs have used marijuana 
first," reads the police association brief. "In fact, most drug users begin 
with alcohol and nicotine before marijuana - usually before they are of 
legal age."

Excluded in the submission, however, is a later section from the study that 
states pot "does not appear to be a gateway drug to the extent that it is 
the cause or even that it is the most significant predictor of drug abuse."

But Griffin said by trying pot, people end up in contact with other illegal 
drugs.

"It's a series of bad choices that lead to problem drug use. If you don't 
open the marijuana door, you probably won't ever use those drugs."

"It is selective," said Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse Policy spokesman 
Richard Garlick. The CPA's brief also selectively quoted one of the 
centres' policy papers, he said. "In fact, if they were to quote the 
conclusion of the study it would undermine their argument," said Garlick.

Still, the CPA is free to take whatever they want from a CCSA document - 
they're open to interpretation, he said.

He noted the Senate committee's idea was to sever the link between 
marijuana and more harmful drugs by making it legal, said Garlick - an idea 
the CCSA supports.

The CPA has a stack of studies supporting the gateway theory, said Griffin, 
who cited a 1994 Columbia University study which found adults who use 
alcohol, tobacco or marijuana were 104 times more likely to use cocaine. 
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