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Cannabis and Other Drugs

Key points

  • People of any age, sex, or economic status can develop a substance use disorder for cannabis or other drugs.
  • There is limited evidence suggesting that using cannabis increases the risk of using other drugs.

What is known about the risk of using other drugs

Researchers disagree on whether cannabis is a "gateway drug" — the idea that cannabis use leads a person to use other more dangerous drugs, like cocaine or heroin.12 However, there is limited evidence suggesting that using cannabis increases the risk of using other drugs.3

Most people who use cannabis do not go on to use other, "harder" drugs.4 People who use cannabis and do go on to use other drugs (including alcohol and tobacco) may have a higher risk of dependence or addiction to those drugs, especially if they started using cannabis at an early age and use it frequently.456

People of any age, sex, or economic status can develop a substance use disorder for cannabis or other drugs. The following things can affect the likelihood of developing a substance use disorder:7

  • Family history
  • Having another mental health illness (such as anxiety or depression)
  • Having peers with substance use disorder
  • Loneliness or social isolation
  • Lack of family involvement
  • Drug availability
  • Socioeconomic status
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Content Source:
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
  1. Mayet A, Legleye S, Beck F, et al. The gateway hypothesis, common liability to addictions or the route of administration model? A modelling process linking the three theories. Eur Addict Res. 2016;22(2):107-117. doi: 10.1159/000439564.
  2. Mayet A, Legleye S, Chau N, et al. Transitions between tobacco and cannabis use among adolescents: a multi-state modeling of progression from onset to daily use. Addict Behav. 2011;36(11):1101-1105. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2011.06.009.
  3. Secades-Villa R, Garcia-Rodríguez O, Jin CJ, et al. Probability and predictors of the cannabis gateway effect: A national study. Int J Drug Policy. 2015;26(2):135-142. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2014.07.011.
  4. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The health effects of cannabis and cannabinoids: the current state of evidence and recommendations for research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2017. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/24625/the-health-effects-of-cannabis-and-cannabinoids-the-current-state. Accessed February 8, 2024.
  5. Buu A, Dabrowska A, Heinze JE, et al. Gender differences in the developmental trajectories of multiple substance use and the effect of nicotine and marijuana use on heavy drinking in a high-risk sample. Addict Behav. 2015;50:6-12. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2015.06.015.
  6. Timberlake DS, Haberstick BC, Hopfer CJ, et al. Progression from marijuana use to daily smoking and nicotine dependence in a national sample of US adolescents. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2007;88(2-3):272-281. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2006.11.005.
  7. 7. Robertson EB, David SL, Rao SA. Preventing drug use among children and adolescents: A research-based guide for parents, educators, and community leaders. National Institute on Drug Abuse; 2003. https://nida.nih.gov/sites/default/files/redbook_0.pdf . Accessed February 9, 2024.