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My friend from school had the same mindset as you, he was very intelligent as well. One day he got offered coke, did it, all I'll say is coke is definitely a gateway drug. You do it once and you're constantly looking for a high that matches it, he's never been the same.
Michigan.
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I know my dad is a subjective example, but I figured I'd butt it in as a proper supporting example to the quoted text.
My dad grew up in New Orleans primarily, and moved several times, stimulating his decision to do and deal drugs. After moving to Minnesota, he basically ran an empire in the most active drug region in the state. He's done literally every drug in the book, except for the more recent drugs (past 10 years or so). For the record, if he found out his supply somehow ended up in schools, he would beat the living **** out of the person responsible. Hypocritical, but at the same time suppressive.
In like 2005 he was finally convicted of dealing, and sentenced to 5 years after cutting a deal with the judge. It was going to be 15 years. After that, the only drug he's pretty much been on is pot, and some pain medication prescribed for his shoulder surgery and other incidents. He was voted to be the most likely to return to prison within the first year upon release by the state, but proved them wrong.
He taught me about the addiction side of things, and especially gateway drugs. I know it may not seem like it, but my dad and countless others started with weed. It is a gateway drug. It stimulates the decision to move to harder drugs, however, it still is a decision. Drugs don't push you through the gate, they create the gate. It's your decision to walk through it.
In fact, it's a decision to even smoke in the first place. Some people have a greater tendency to addiction, and it's their responsibility to know/predict how they'll respond.
In essence, any drug is a gateway drug. That is, if you make it one.