Euphonic wrote:
Yes, that's why Weed is illegal, and games are rated by the ESRB.
This is why weed was made illegal (sources included):
http://www.drugwarrant.com/articles/why ... a-illegal/
Yet Alcohol, which has lead to more deaths, has lead to dependency (ever hear of AA), more long term health issues (liver/heart/etc) is legal.
Yet Tobacco, which has led to WAY more deaths (hello Cancer), straight up chemical addiction, and WAY more long term health issues (lungs/heart/throat/mouth/etc) is legal.
People who have addictive/destructive personalities will inherently move on to harder drugs. Not because they try weed and think "oh, now I have to do heroin"...no, it's because they get bored of it and have some psychological need to try the next "best" thing (or need to "fit in" by doing other drugs, etc.). The only "gateway" aspect of Weed is that it is the most mild of all drugs. It is even less harmful than current drugs that are legal (yes, Alcohol is a drug). So naturally, most people start with weed. Those who move on to other things would have done so anyway. Weed didn't make them move on. People just as easily could've started by getting drunk.
Lawmakers and conservative morons will try to paint a cause and effect relationship between weed smokers and hardcore junkies. It just doesn't make sense.
As for violent video games...same thing. I was raised on violent video games. I was blowing zombies apart in Quake when I was 11ish and killing Nazi's in Wolfenstein when I was about 7.
Yet I've never had the urge to go buy a gun, or shoot anyone. I've never shot up a school, or work, and never will. Why? Because I'm not a psychopath, and playing ultra-violent video games for over 15 years hasn't made me into one.