How is Marijuana a Gateway Drug?

Marijuana goes by a number of names: weed, grass, Mary Jane, ganja, chronic, bud, cannabis, Buddha, kif, magic, magic smoke, jive, jive stick, joints, ju-ju, herb, gash, what, laughing grass, light stuff, rope, spliff, griff, Acapulco Gold, Kentucky Blue, Greta, woo…

No matter what you call it, marijuana is a dangerous drug, dangerous within itself and dangerous because it often leads to the use of other, more life threatening substances.

What the Studies Say

There are a number of research studies dedicated to finding out how marijuana works in the brain and the body, and many studies on the long-term effects of marijuana addiction are just now becoming available.

What they tell us is that few who become addicted to drugs like heroin, prescription painkillers and stimulants did so without first trying marijuana. The risk of cocaine addiction, specifically, is 104 times greater for those who use marijuana as compared to those who never tried the drug. Though other factors also contribute to whether or not someone will become addicted to other drugs after using marijuana, including biological, social and environmental factors, it stands confirmed that marijuana use often serves as a gateway to other drugs of addiction.

Why Marijuana is a Gateway Drug

No one is sure exactly why marijuana is a gateway drug, but there are a few theories. For example, it is suspected that marijuana use may change the brain’s chemistry in such a way that the user is more prone to developing addiction to other drugs after a shorter period of use as compared to those who don’t try marijuana before using other drugs.

Marijuana is not just physically addictive. It is also mentally and emotionally addictive as well.

When you learn to ease stress and find comfort in marijuana, it makes sense that your next step for a more immersive high would be a stronger drug. When marijuana is no longer enough to numb the emotions that drive you to use in the first place, a sedative, prescription painkiller or heroin may seem like the logical next step.

Marijuana Addiction Treatment at The Canyon

The Canyon provides an unparalleled drug rehab program for those who are struggling with marijuana addiction. Our goal is to help you or your loved one break marijuana addiction and learn new ways of coping with the stresses of life before marijuana no longer serves its original purpose of stress relief and more lethal substances are sought to ease the mind and body. At The Canyon, we combine the traditional 12-step program approach to alcohol and drug addiction with more alternative therapeutic options to create a whole and holistic therapy approach that is completely unique.

Come join us in the Santa Monica Mountains and treat your addiction to marijuana through a program that is completely modified to suit your particular needs.