The current study examines the applicability of the “gateway hypothesis” to drug use patterns of secondary school students from a nonmetropolitan area in Tennessee. The data were collected from students in the 8th, 10th, and 12th grades at three secondary schools, using self-administered questionnaires under supervision of teachers. Although there is some support for the gateway hypothesis in our data, there is also evidence that what differentiates those who move from initial marijuana use to use of harder drugs are risk factors unique to individuals and their environments, consistent with the predictions of problem behavior theory and integrated systems theory. Implications for various interpretations of the gateway hypothesis are discussed.
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