A new systematic review published in the journal Addictive Behaviors challenges the longstanding claim that cannabis acts as a gateway drug to other substances.
Researchers from the University of Montreal, The University of Queensland, and McGill University conducted an extensive analysis of prospective studies to explore the relationship between the age of cannabis use onset and later substance use issues.
The review examined 16 studies published between 2000 and 2024, focusing on adolescents and controlling for individual, social, and substance-related factors. While an earlier age of cannabis use onset was linked to an increased risk of developing what some researchers call “cannabis use disorder”, the findings did not support the notion that cannabis use leads to significant problems with other substances, such as alcohol or harder drugs.
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