A new study conducted at the University of New Hampshire finds that marijuana is less of a "gateway drug" than had previously been thought.
The researchers found that, while teenagers who used marijuana were more likely to use hard, illicit drugs (such as cocaine, hallucinogens, heroin, inhalants, sedatives, stimulants, and tranquilizers) later on, this effect diminished by the time the study participants reached the age of 21. Instead, the researchers point out that other factors are more important predictors of drug use in young people, such as failure to graduate from high school or find a job.
Study researcher Karen Van Gundy, a sociologist at the University of New Hampshire, noted, "If we overly criminalize behaviors like marijuana use among teens, this could interfere with opportunities for education and employment later on, which, in turn, could be creating more drug use."
The study appears in the September issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.
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