Picking Apart the Myth

It is common to hear that marijuana should be illegal because it is a "gateway drug." Essentially, this means that if one smokes marijuana, the marijuana itself somehow leads that individual to trying more serious and harmful drugs such as cocaine. However, there is a major fault in this argument. Jacob Sullum points out, "people who enjoy the effects of marijuana are logically, more likely to try other mood-altering drugs than those who are unwilling to try marijuana. In other words, many of the factors associated with a willingness to try marijuana are, presumably, the same as those associated with a willingness to try other drugs."

In Sullum's article, No Bad Drugs he lists the various arguments against drugs, but then rationally picks them apart. As expected, most arguments for making drugs illegal are fueled by emotion. Unsurprisingly, these types of arguments do not stand up to rational thought or scientific findings.