Does marijuana use lead to other drug use?
The majority of people who use marijuana do not go on to use other, “harder” substances.5 More research is needed to understand if marijuana is a “gateway drug” – a drug that is thought to lead to the use of more dangerous drugs (such as cocaine or heroin). For more on why visit risk of using other drugs.
- What is marijuana?
- How is marijuana used?
- What determines how marijuana effects a person?
- Is marijuana medicine?
- Is it possible for someone to become addicted to marijuana?
- How do I know if I am addicted to marijuana?
- What are the health risks of using marijuana?
- Is it possible to “overdose” or have a “bad reaction” to marijuana?
- What are the effects of mixing marijuana with alcohol, tobacco or prescription drugs?
- How harmful is K2/Spice (synthetic marijuana or synthetic cannabinoids)?
- Does marijuana use lead to other drug use?
- Is it safe for a breastfeeding mom to use marijuana?
- Can secondhand marijuana smoke affect nonsmokers, including children?
- How is eating and drinking foods that contain marijuana (edibles) different from smoking marijuana?
- It’s legal in many states, so doesn’t that mean marijuana is safe?
Page last reviewed: March 7, 2018