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Research: Innocence of 'pot' is myth

People who work in the field of drug rehabilitation have known for a long time, based on their own experiences, that marijuana use often leads to use of even more dangerous drugs. Now comes a study, sure to put a dent in th marijuana legalization campaign that's been gaining momentum in this country, that confirms marijuana is a "gateway" drug to still worse drug abuse.

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found that nearly half &emdash; 48 percent &emdash; of 182,000 teens and younger children who entered treatment for substance abuse in 1996 were admitted for marijuana addiction. What's more, 12- to 17-year-olds who smoke marijuana are 85 times more likely to use cocaine than those who do not moke marijuana.

"Teen experimentation with marijuana should not be considered a casual rite of passage," says Joe Califano, chairman and president of the Columbia center.

In addition to posing serious risks of leading to other drug use, the Columbia study notes, regular use also impairs short-term memory, stunts intellectual and emotional growth and increases the likelihood of engaging in premarital sexual activity.

Those risks aren't worth taking merely for the false pleasures offered by marijuana.

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