Studies have proved the stepping-stone theory, i.e. from simple addiction to “hard core” addiction, which is similar to gateway theory. Some users used canabis or marijuana as a “gateway” or substitute for alcohol, and those who used medical canabis were former canabis users. Charlton (as cited in Reiman, 2009) indicated that substitution with substances was used by some users to address the problem of alcohol addiction, but further using harder drugs for self-medication. Alcohol and tobacco have been regarded “soft” drugs and are used as “gateway” to “harder” ones. The stepping stone suggests that it is a progression (from softer to harder drugs), which makes it similar to gateway.
There has been a debate as to whether alcohol and marijuana can be used as a stepping stone to more high-inducing drugs like cocaine or heroin. The stepping stone theory stems from several findings that users who first started with alcohol and marijuana progressed to use harder drugs like cocaine.
Deza (2012) conducted empirical study on the use of marijuana and harder drugs like cocaine and heroin. She used quantification to explain that there was high probability of participants who used softer drugs to take harder drugs than those who did not. Tobacco use has proven to be a steady predictor of illegal drug. Statistical research shows that there is a strong link between tobacco use and illegal drugs, and that “hard core” drug dependents were first smokers before they became addicts (Lindsay & Rainey, 1997).
In some studies, all marijuana users would eventually become heroin users. However, these studies were further disproved, or rebuked, by further studies. Stepping stone refers to these four stages: 1) from nonusers to alcohol consumer; 2) from beer/wine drinker to smoker and hard liquor; 3) from smoker/hard drinker to marijuana; and 4) from marijuana to “harder” drug dependence (Kirby, 2007).
References
Deza, M. (2012). Essays on drug use and crime (Doctoral thesis, University of California, Berkeley). Retrieved from http://escholarship.org/uc/item/37c2v560#page-3
Kirby, T. (2007). Alcohol as a gateway drug: A study of U.S. 12th graders (Doctoral thesis, Purdue University). Retrieved from http://ezproxy.sothebysinstitute.com:2195/dissertations/docview/903281471/fulltextPDF/B7F3C1765F704233PQ/4?accountid=13957
