I don't feel like the article really addressed the gateway thing, so I'll throw my own bit in there.

Marijuana is *not* a gateway drug, simply because relationships with people are the gateways, not the drugs. For instance, I live in a fairly nice college area outside Baltimore, and I buy weed regularly. The people I buy from are no different than myself, they're not trying to sell me anything else but weed, and not trying to get me hooked on some fucked up hard shit like crack. However, having met some people involved in that scene from inner city Baltimore, I can say from my own experience that they're a different breed of drug dealer. They're not just selling, they're PUSHING, and they push hard. The whole realm of addictive substances and the transactions that take place are completely different than the herb, if you ask me.