

Ask HN: Does cheap, legal marijuana reduce the demand for meth? - andrewstuart

If people can get cheap, legal pot, does it follow that they are able to get high easily and therefore are less likely to turn to other more harmful drugs such as meth?
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vezzy-fnord
The gateway drug conjecture is vague and so far unverified. I'm not sure if
the inverse (what you're proposing) is any more correct. Different drugs have
differing uses, effects and bind to various receptors, thus there is little
reason to believe why an interest in sedatives like cannabis would lead to
trying stimulants like methamphetamine.

Moreover, the world's most widely consumed drug is a xanthine stimulant
(caffeine), with most people finding it seemingly efficient enough that
resorting to larger kicks as meth is unnecessary.

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lettergram
Two things I would argue:

(1) Once a person starts buying illegal weed, the dealers have an incentive to
pass on higher profit margin meth. Therefore it could be considered a "gateway
drug" of sorts, at the very least the dealers have a financial incentive to
try and clients to buy meth.

(2) Once a person breaks the law for marijuana, there is little incentive not
to continue to break the law. Where as, if you make marijuana legal, there is
still a legal incentive not to buy meth.

~~~
camhenlin
For item 2, in most locations meth and marijuana are punished very
differently. For example, many states have marijuana decriminalized, where you
would only receive a small fine for possession. In those states, you would
almost certainly be taken to jail for meth possession

