Breaking Down the Gateway Theory Will Lead

to Further Legalization
 Dan Abbate

Table of Contents

Table of Contents........................................................................................................................................2
Abstract.......................................................................................................................................................2
Gateway Theory is Misleading Everyone.....................................................................................................2
Research Against the Gateway Theory....................................................................................................2
An Alternative Explanation for the Gateway Theory...............................................................................3
Educating the Public....................................................................................................................................4
Education Leads to Further Legalization......................................................................................................4
Clearer Understanding.............................................................................................................................4
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................5
References...................................................................................................................................................5

Abstract 1
Gateway Theory is Misleading Everyone 2
Research Against the Gateway Theory 1
An Alternative Explanation for the Gateway Theory 2
Educating the Public 3
Education Leads to Further Legalization 4
Clearer Understanding 3
Conclusion 5

Table of Figures
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3

Abstract
Opponents of medical cannabis and cannabis use in adult lives claim that cannabis is a gateway
drug. Gateway drugs are drugs that enhance a user's probability to take harder drugs such as
opioids like fentanyl and heroin, and cocaine. A key factor in the gateway theory argument is the
correlation between cannabis and hard drugs. It is factual that a lot of people who have used hard
drugs have used cannabis first, but that does not mean that cannabis leads the user to hard drug
use. While cannabis is one of the most commonly used substances in the world, data shows that only
a small percentage of cannabis consumers go on to use hard drugs. To break down this common
misconception the use of TED Talks that explain why the gateway theory is inaccurate and how
marijuana isn’t the dangerous life-ruining drug that many people believe it to be.

Gateway Theory is Very Misleading Everyone

Research Against the Gateway Theory
The gateway theory is a theory that claims that the use of a certain drug can lead to the user going on to
use stronger more addictive drugs. The gateway theory has been disproved multiple times in
prominent academic studies. For example, The American Journal of Psychiatry y foundfound that
drug abuse is not determined by the original use of cannabis, but rather by a user’s tendencies and
environmental circumstances. The environment, including social groups and exposure to drugs in
the neighborhood, are key indicators of illicit drug use (Tarter et al, 2016). Shared characteristics
among cannabis users, such as a want to rebel or a risk-taking personality, explain why some
individuals go on to use harder drugs.
According to the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 26 million Americans
reported using cannabis in the past month. Comparatively, only about 2 million Americans
reported using cocaine, and only 494,000 people reported using heroin (SAMHSA, 2021). In short,
many people who have used hard drugs have used cannabis, but the vast majority of people who
have used cannabis do not use hard drugs. The image below by Forbes magazine shows American
voters' views on the legalization of marijuana. 69% of people who oppose marijuana legalization voted
this way due to thinking marijuana would lead people to use stronger more addictive drugs, which was
disproven by the data collected by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
 Figure 2

An Alternative Explanation for the Gateway Theory

There is evidence that the illegal status of cannabis can increase the likelihood of hard drug usage.
Purchasing cannabis through illegal channels promotes interaction with dealers who may have
access to harder drugs. As the Netherlands began to loosen cannabis laws in the 1970s, they made
intentional efforts to separate the legal and illicit drug markets. Believing the gateway effect to be
sociological, they aimed to keep soft drug users away from hard drug dealers. The goal was to
minimize the exposure cannabis users had to hard drugs, and data compiled from the Dutch
experience suggests this approach was effective (RJ, 2011). This and other studies have led to a
growing consensus within the research community that the gateway theory is unsupported. The
study done by the Netherlands helps show that the gateway drug theory is false. The data shows that
being exposed to illegal drug channels increases the likelihood of harder drug usage, not the use or
exposure to marijuana.
 Figure 3

Educating the Public

The most effective way to make this research heard by the public would be through TED Talks
that explain to the public why the gateway theory is misleading and just not scientific. “TEDTED
Talks require small amounts of time, are financially advantageous, and represent an excellent way
to reach out to the members of society, thereby promoting active involvement in population health”
(Masson, 2014). TED Talks would be an amazing way to get this information to a large number of
people because TED Talks are always accessible online and are free to watch for everyone.

Education Leads to Further Legalization

Clearer Understanding
With proper education on the overly misleading gateway drug theory the public and many more
government officials will be more open and considerate of decriminalization and then the main goal
of legalization. This information specifically will help with the decriminalization and legalization of
cannabis because many people are concerned about cannabis becoming legal because they are
under the misconception that cannabis leads to increased drug use and is labeled as a gateway drug.
“About one-in-five opponents of legalization (19%) say marijuana is illegal and needs to be policed,
11% say it is a gateway to harder drugs and 8% say it is especially harmful to young people ” (In
debate over legalizing marijuana, disagreement over drug's dangers, 2020). TED Talk even claims
that all of its speakers and information are both compelling and accurate. The TED talks would
feature Paul Armentano who is the Deputy Director for NORML, or the National Organization for the
Reform of Marijuana Laws. The TED talks would be targeted toward the general public. The target
audience is so broad because this information needs to be spread to as many people as possible. All the
information within this document will be included in the TED talks so that the viewers will have all the
information available to them.

Conclusion
The debate over cannabis being a gateway drug has clearly been shown to be false. The education
of the public through TED Talks will be an effective way that a large portion of the population can
see the findings within this paper. This will also prove to politicians and state officials that cannabis
isn’t the harmful community-destroying drug that some of those officials claim it to be. Once it is
clear that cannabis isn’t a gateway drug, and that the environmental and social factors that one
goes through in their life if the real gateway drug, then it will show states another reason why
cannabis decriminalization and legalization is a positive thing for the community and the country
as a whole. Cannabis shouldn’t be blamed for the decisions that people make and it has been
proven that the vast majority of cannabis users don’t go on to use hard drugs.

References
Masson, M. (2014, December). Benefits of TED talks. Canadian family physician Medecin de famille
canadien. Retrieved March 8, 2023, from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4264800/
Pew Research Center. (2020, May 30). In debate over legalizing marijuana, disagreement over drug's
dangers. Pew Research Center - U.S. Politics & Policy. Retrieved March 7, 2023, from
https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2015/04/14/in-debate-over-legalizing-marijuana-
disagreement-over-drugs-dangers/#:~:text=About%20one%2Din%2Dfive
%20opponents,especially%20harmful%20to%20young%20people.
RJ;, M. C. (2011, September 11). What can we learn from the Dutch cannabis coffeeshop system?
Addiction (Abingdon, England). Retrieved March 7, 2023, from
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21906196/
SAMHSA. (2021, October). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States:results
from the 2020 national survey on drug use and health. Key Substance Use and Mental Health
Indicators in the United States: Results from the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Retrieved March 7, 2023, from
https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt35319/2020NSDUHFFR102121.htm
Tarter, R. E., Kirisci, L., Mezzich, A., Ridenour, T., Fishbein, D., Horner, M., Reynolds, M., Kirillova,
G., & Vanyukov, M. (2016, April 7). Does the "gateway" sequence increase prediction of
cannabis use disorder development beyond deviant socialization? implications for prevention
practice and policy. Johns Hopkins University. Retrieved March 7, 2023, from
https://jhu.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/does-the-gateway-sequence-increase-prediction-of-
cannabis-use-dis-3