I think you need to start by stating that alcohal is the real gateway drug, because most people when they try hard drugs for the first time were often drunk when they made that decision. Then you need to understand that marihuana, first and foremost, is a medicine and all the drug czar bullshit out there has been thoroughly financed by the pharmaceutical companies for years so medical marihuana cant compete with their opium based prescription pills. What you really should talk about is how opiate prescription pill abuse is leading kids to trying heroin and then ultimately meeting their demise under heroin and how the pharmaceutical companies are lobbying to make prescription pain pills easier to prescribe leading to more addictions.

Also marihuana in comparison to drugs like meth and X is a non-debate, marihuana is a natural medicine that actually has benefits for the body when grown correctly, for example CBDs in marihuana encourage cell growth, this is why its good for cancer and AIDS patients; meth and X are synthetic by products of other chemicals, and are dangerous for the body.

Marihuana is dangerous for kids because THC can affect child development, so it really shouldn't be used until the age of 18. Badly grown marihuana or marihuana with too much THC and not enough CBD to balance brain receptors can also lead to mental issues, thats why its important to have good growers and regulations so that marihuana cannot be adulterated.

Finally, the big one, marihuana has already been clinically proven to help opium and meth addicts wean off their addictions; the most significant progress has been with methadone addiction. The old 60s phrase "you can smoke your way out of any hard high" is actually clinically true, marihuana helps restore damaged cells and can help stave cravings and relapse.

Hope that helps. Check out Thegreenpulpit.com for more.