Pubdate: Sat, 17 Jun 2017
Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB)
Copyright: 2017 Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact: http://www.edmontonsun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://www.edmontonsun.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/135
Author: Chet Macklin
Page: 14
Note: Parenthetical remark by the Sun editor.

GATEWAY MYTH

Noel Hershfield is incorrect. In fact, there is an abundance of
studies dispelling the 'gateway' myth. Marijuana is like a gateway
drug the same way an appetizer is a gateway to an entree. One
generally occurs before the other.

Further, many people mistakenly believe marijuana use precedes rather 
than follows other drug use. In fact, most drug use begins with
alcohol and nicotine. And if the next argument is that cannabis 
introduces you to a dealer selling harder drugs, that's even more
reason to legalize it. Consider the large number of people whom have 
used cannabis and not gone on to use other illicit drugs. Correlation
is not causation!

Chet Macklin

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(There appears to be little consensus on this issue.)
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MAP posted-by: Matt