Joe Biden’s Outdated Views On Marijuana Will Not Do Him Any Favors (Op-Ed)

Joe Biden’s Outdated Views On Marijuana Will Not Do Him Any Favors (Op-Ed)

“It’s the criminalization of marijuana that’s the real gateway. Forcing marijuana consumers into the illicit market increases the probability that they will be exposed to other, far more dangerous drugs.” By Steve Hawkins, Marijuana Policy Project executive director At a time when public support for marijuana legalization has never been higher, Joe Biden’s views on cannabis have him at odds with his fellow Democratic candidates, as well as a strong majority of the American people. Most striking is that his position is based on flawed, antiquated and thoroughly debunked theories about marijuana consumption. During a town hall meeting over the weekend, Biden stated that marijuana might be a “gateway drug” and that, “the truth of the matter is, there’s not nearly been enough evidence that has been acquired as to whether or not it is a gateway drug.” What Biden doesn’t seem to realize is that there are already numerous studies indicating that marijuana use is not a gateway to successive more serious drug use. When you examine the research on the question of whether marijuana use is a gateway drug, the evidence becomes clear that the “gateway theory” is at best a myth and at worst a scare tactic…