But White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Thursday appeared to link the surge in opioid abuse to another factor: recreational marijuana use. Second, Spicer seemed to imply that recreational marijuana use could lead people to try more dangerous drugs — a controversial claim commonly called the “gateway drug” theory. Some advocates have even gone so far as to propose using medical marijuana to treat opioid addiction. In his news conference, Spicer said President Trump saw a “big difference” between using marijuana for medical and recreational purposes. But there’s almost no evidence showing recreational marijuana use could drive up opioid abuse.

Source: Washington Post February 24, 2017 10:34 UTC