Master Addiction Counselor Practice Test 2025 – Your All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

The three-stage model of drug use sequencing describes how individuals might progress through various phases of substance use. In this model, the initiation of drug use generally begins with less potent substances, such as marijuana, often placing it in the early stages of use.

The statement regarding initiation to marijuana occurring in the second stage aligns well with observed patterns in substance use. Many individuals may start with marijuana before potentially moving on to other substances. This reflects the idea that marijuana is often viewed as a gateway drug, commonly used in early experimentation before escalating to other types of drugs in later stages of use.

The other statements present scenarios that do not accurately fit the common findings within the model. For instance, progression from one drug to another is not a universal experience, as some individuals may use a single substance without escalating. Similarly, the notion that individual drug use always escalates to harder drugs is overly deterministic and overlooks the variations in individual experiences. Additionally, the idea that heroin typically precedes cocaine use does not align with typical patterns of drug use, as many people are introduced to cocaine before experimenting with opioids. Therefore, focusing on the initiation of marijuana in the sequence accurately reflects the progression dynamics highlighted in the three-stage model.