Multiple Drug Use in a Sample of Experienced Marijuana Smokers

Abstract

It is generally recognized that drug abuse today is a multidrug problem but few studies have concentrated on multiple drug abuse by marijuana smokers. This article describes actual and anticipated drug use by a sample of marijuana smokers who have moved well beyond the novitiate stage. College students, prison inmates, and ghetto Blacks are the source of data. Marijuana smokers differed markedly along most of the lines investigated. Experienced marijuana smokers in this sample are involved in the drug scene in different ways. Data indicate that a drug-anticipation syndrome exists which is distinguishable from the non-drug-anticipators. Anticipators are already more involved in the drug world and evidence suggests that they may be vulnerable to experimentation with heroin.