As Bob Saget (RIP) famously said in Half Baked, “Weed is not a drug!” We won’t repeat the rest of his speech here but hopefully you get the point. Just like any substance we believe it should be treated responsibly but a new study further legitimizes the idea that cannabis is not a gateway drug. When a state legalizes weed, it does not lead to adults using other substances, nor an increase in substance abuse, either with cannabis or other substances. In fact, the study found that legalization may lead to a decrease in alcohol-related problems. Studies also come out every year pointing to reduced opiate abuse in states that legalize. Additionally the study has insightful data on adults not being the irresponsible stoners they have been portrayed to be by the War on Drugs since the 70’s. So again, every substance we introduce into our lives should be done so carefully but not being honest to the degree seen by propaganda over the last almost 100 years damages long-term trust in policy makers.

Read the full article here: leafly.com