Buzzby

Pot Politico Fired Up by Addiction Story
Kirk Tousaw | Straight.com | 02/03/2005

I 'm compelled to correct a wrong impression that might have been left by Dr. Ray Baker's comments about the "gateway effect" and cannabis use ["Doctor Draws On Past to Treat Addictions", Jan. 27-Feb. 3]. Empirical evidence has demonstrated that cannabis does not cause anyone to go on to harder drugs. But a gateway effect may yet exist: one caused by drug prohibition. Because drug prohibition takes place in the black market, sellers of cannabis may also sell other drugs. A cannabis smoker, then, is more likely to encounter--and, thus, use--other drugs. This is the real meaning of "increased exposure", not that increased use of cannabis somehow causes someone to want other drugs. Ending prohibition would end this gateway effect.

Baker makes a second point worthy of comment. He suggests that someone "addicted" to cannabis will "chip away at marijuana then replace it with something else". Perhaps. But, again, this is not a causal effect resulting from cannabis use. Instead, it is simply likely that the person (who happens to smoke cannabis) has a personality type prone to "addictive" behaviour. Cannabis is not the culprit.

It is time to end the unjust persecution of the cannabis user, and time to end the harms caused by cannabis prohibition.

Kirk Tousaw is the campaign manager for the British Columbia Marijuana Party, Vancouver

(BuzzNote: For more on Dr. Ray Baker look here.
If you want to know why marijuana is not addictive look here.)

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