However, a consideration of each element of that argument reveals that it is a flawed position.

The most effective way of preventing minors from obtaining marijuana would be for government authorities to regulate and control its lawful distribution. There may be now way to ever guarantee that minors will not obtain marijuana, but that problem would be comparable to the current problem of minors obtaining alcohol and cigarettes. Given the choices, it would be preferable for government authorities to do their best to control unauthorized purchases the way the government regulates alcohol and tobacco instead of allowing illegal drug dealers to determine who purchases their products. The characterization of marijuana as a "gateway" drug is biased because it assumes that neither alcohol nor tobacco is a "drug" (Dershowitz, 2002). In fact, there is no rational basis for excluding alcohol or tobacco in that regard, particularly because, statistically, both are "gateway"...
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