Can the use of soft drugs lead to the use of harder drugs?

Many people believe it can, but there is currently no scientific proof that marijuana (cannabis) is a "gateway drug" that leads to using harder drugs. This does not mean cannabis is safe for everyone. While many people will only smoke it occasionally or just for recreational use with friends, it should be noted that a certain segment of the population has what psychologists call an "addictive personality" and they are more likely to graduate from using cannabis to using cocaine or even heroin.

There has not been enough research yet to tell us which people will or will not move on from marijuana to cocaine or other substances, just as we do not know for certain which people will remain occasional social drinkers and which will become alcoholics.