From Don Churms
You report that: “Although two-thirds of cannabis users [in the New Zealand
study] did not progress to other illicit drugs, nearly all hard-drug users
started off on cannabis.” Could it not be that most teenagers—and also
most adults—use some sort of mild drug, such as cannabis, nicotine and
alcohol, and that a smaller subset of people progress to harder drugs?
The causal relationship for cannabis may appear a little stronger because its
illegality (and reputation) probably keeps some potential users away, but I
suspect most hard drug users also began smoking cigarettes and drinking
alcohol.
Charlottesville, Virginia
