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Plainsman1963

Early cannabis abuse 'does lead to heroin addiction'
07-05-06 | DailyMail.Co.Uk

Taking cannabis as a teenager really does pave the way to heroin addiction in later life, say scientists.

Researchers have found that cannabis acts as a 'gateway' drug, because exposure during adolescence primes the system to crave the chemical stimulation of hard drugs.

Previously it has been argued teenagers move to harder drugs because of peer or emotional pressures, or easy availability.

The study, published online today in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, looked at the behaviour of young rats exposed to cannabis. These rats took in much larger doses of opium when trained to self administer than other rodents.

Dr Yasmin Hurd of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, said cannabis affects some of the brain's natural chemicals which heighten positive emotions.

The same system is stimulated by hard drugs meaning the brain may 'remember' previous usage.

The adolescent brain is particularly sensitive to drug exposure, she said, because of cell changes in areas essential for behavioural functions.

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"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards." - Claire Wolfe

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NCAA Athlete

Uh-oh, I started smoking cannabis at an early age! I'm doomed!

Heroin addiction here I come.

dedbr

Hey! Stupid person that wrote this article! When are you going to read and understand the things you are writing about? If the rats were trained at a young age to self administer, what about the ones that weren't trained? Did you have to train them?

Were there rats that were junkies that didn't smoke herb?

Did these rats go to high school and college before they became junkies, or after?

Were these all male or a mix?

I get the feeling I'm...


Some Where In Ded Land....

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Buzzby

Early cannabis abuse 'does lead to heroin addiction' in rats

I'm not clear as to what this has to do with humans.

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dedbr

is heroin against the law in rat society? Is herb?

Maybe their laws aren't as stupid as our's. Did they think about that?

Lots of questions unanswered here, folk's.....


Some Where In Ded Land....

 

casketfour

here we are again SUCCESFULLY FULLFILLING that age old prophecy that "a hammer is absolutely a deadly weapon" without giving any justice as to what makes it deadly - while we completely ignore the fact that it was intended by it's designer to be a CREATIVE TOOL

KWhite

I was sure I replied to this...

Hmmm

Maybe not.

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KWhite

**He sighs**

Some days I find myself really missing Pan....

Dun

I just read the primary literature; 6 rats exposed to THC, 5 rats not, all male. Nice sample size...

By "early exposure" they mean pre-pubescent (<14 years old); hey I know a good way to keep kids away from pot - legalization and regulation.

http://www.nature.com/npp/journal/va.../1301127a.html

king cola

"Taking cannabis as a teenager really does pave the way to heroin addiction in later life, say scientists."

Yea, that arguement was one of many Harry J. Anslinger started when tryin to think of more ways to fight marijuana. He was the guy that started the whole connection theory of marijuana and heroin and here it is he wasn't a scientist or anything, he didn't know sh*t about pot. They talk of marijuana being connected with heroin but they never mention anything about it being connected with cocaine, that's enough for me to think they use Anslingers old propaganda with the gateway to heroin.

You cannot compare marijuana to hard drugs, marijuana is just a plant, theres no man made chemicals in marijuana. Alcohol is a man made drug but because it's legal no one ever says it's a gateway drug! No one says tobacco is a gateway drug even though millions of people are hooked on it!

My theory as to why some teenagers move to harder drugs, i wouldn't say they just move to it, they start trying it out. Experimentation with drugs has been going on for decades, it's never going to change no matter who says what. There was a good program on showtime i think it was, the name of the programs were called, "the drug years" and it was very detailed.

My father smoked a lot of pot in his day and had his addiction problems with cocaine at one time in his day too! He got over that addiction but never blamed pot for him using hard drugs, but i could say he never did touch heroin.

My friends smoke more pot than i ever have and none of them have touched heroin either!