Does anyone know if marijuana can be a 'reverse' gateway drug?

[patdem]

That is to say, if pot can be used to help people who are addicted to meth or crack or cocain to come off their addictions?

I have nieces and nephews who are meth users..and keep saying to them SMOKE POT...but I have no idea if that could help them in their addictions?

Are there any studies? Anyone know?

[annabanana]

1. My feeling is..

"couldn't hurt"...

[MissB]

2. Uh, meth is really hard core.

I'd seek professional advice on that question.

[patdem]

4. I have advised them to go to rehab ..but denial is TOTAL

niece says..well rehab has addicts..and rehab has drugs...I keep saying SMOKE POT...cause her boyfriend is a pot only smoker..and is NOT happy with her meth addiction...but obviously he is not so unhappy that he is willing to break up with her...

nephew is just too drugged to even discuss ANYTHING...and looking for his next fix...

[MissB]

7. It changes their brain chemistry.

It = meth. I'm sure you've seen the faces of meth link before, right?

[Nikia]

3. Don't know about those drugs

I have known a couple of alcoholics though that successfully switched to pot, which made them healthier and have better quality of life/relationships though.

[Warpy]

5. Antidepressants will do them much more good

than grass will, so if you can afford a doctor visit, that might be the best option. Meth and cocaine both cause actual structural changes in the brain that make it less susceptible to the neurotransmitters that flood out with the drug use. Antidepressants partially compensate for that. Addicts have a poor chance of long term recovery without them.

However, this is not going to do them any good if they aren't ready to get off the meth merry go round. Until they are, there isn't much you can do.

Addiction is a horrible thing for friends and family to watch, and some people do die from it, no matter what the substance is. I've been there and it is horrible.

I wish this country would get serious about treatment and forget about the interdiction and imprisonment.

[TomInTib]

11. Good advice, Warpy.

I spent 4 years with a daily heroin gig and basically quit overnight. Reefer was a nice crutch.

Spent a long time with crystal (when the whole scene was much cleaner/nicer) and rarely smoked.

Almost destroyed my life on coke. Gave it up when I lost my house. Weed was a comfort.

So I am sticking to Gin, Wine, and Weed.

Only took me 50 years to figure it out.

[Cobalt Violet]

6. I used it to quit smoking tobacco.

Tobacco is pretty addictive and it worked. I just smoked some every time I wanted a cigarette. I haven't smoke a cigarette in over 20 years. I don't know about meth or coke. And I don't know if something worked for me that it would work for someone else.

[pitohui]

8. i've heard of it working but i don't see why it would work

unfortunately among the meth/crack heads i know, there is no real interest in quitting

in my experience of meth, the pot or alcohol high would be useless as substitutes, meth served a different purpose -- making me be able to study or write longer hours, whereas pot or alcohol would not do that, they were and are recreational drugs or drugs i've used for health purposes when i've had problems w. anorexia or another appetite issue (pot is prob. best for this but i have also used wine successfully to help my appetite)

i quit simply because meth gave me a nasty temper and my temper is bad enough, i did not want to hurt somebody and get my ass locked up in jail, however, will confess i didn't find meth addictive, when i made up my mind to cut it out of my life it wasn't that hard (for me)

nice when you're up there, but addictive as in causing you to crave the way you crave the next cigarette...no

this may be an individual variation

[sweetheart]

9. Yes, it works with alcoholics

Its the unofficial recommendation of drugs and alcohol counsellors who seek to
shift people off hard drinking, and by mixing in some smoke, it does indeed
act as a reverse gateway. I know of 2 cases, personally, where people have
overcome alcohol addiction for smoking grass. The degenerate behaviour stopped
and family life is much improved.. (saved a family).

[WindRavenX]

10. I know someone like that as well

nt

[Raster]

12. I've heard it referred to as marijuana maintenance by AA'ers

[lindisfarne]

13. Meth is nasty, really addictive, really dangerous (in terms of impurities

and addictiveness). I'd consult with a professional - they're unlikely to kick meth on their own.