Marijuana is often claimed to be a "gateway drug" that leads users to try harder drugs. There are two perspectives on this claim - the intrinsic argument says marijuana's effects directly cause further drug use, while the sociocultural argument says social contexts influence drug choices. Most research supports the latter view that social factors, not the drug itself, influence whether a marijuana user goes on to other drugs.

1. M4D1:
Marijuana: The Gateway Drug?
In a Chapter 10 discussion about the causal link between
smoking marijuana and using other illegal drugs, sociologist
Erich Goode distinguished between two schools of thought that
should be looked at when considering and researching whether
marijuana use leads to other illegal drug use: the intrinsic
argument and the sociocultural argument. Briefly explain each
one and then state which of these viewpoints you support.
Explain your choice.