Alcohol vs. Marijuana

Alcohol or Marijuana, which do you think is the more detrimental?

Alcohol

I joke about it but I really don't drink much anymore and it's been many years since I smoked weed. Done in moderation I don't think either is that bad but done to excess? I guess booze. Studies have probably been done.

For decades, popular culture has celebrated the consumption of ethanol (drinking alcohol) while maintaining a moral and legal opposition to so-called "recreational drugs". Most people do not equate being "drunk" with being "high", even though it is perfectly logical to do so. In fact, ethanol is literally classified as a "powerful psychoactive drug". Technically speaking, this means it is a substance that causes a dramatic change in the human consciousness. Every weekend and indeed every day, America gets high on booze. It is the goal of this website to dispel the myths clouding the public's perception of alcohol and illicit drugs. It is NOT the goal of this website to perpetuate a climate of misinformation by over or understating any risks or benefits of any substance. However, we do feel that given a rational and informed overview of these substances and the facts regarding their effect on the human body and society, working toward a more progressive drug policy is a perfectly logical thing to do. The most popular of illicit drugs by far is marijuana. It is unique, but not alone, among these drugs in that it is actually far less harmful to the human body than many legal "recreational" substances such as alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine. Given current medical information on cannabis and all of it's preparations, it is now known conclusively that marijuana and it's constituent compounds do not pose a significant risk to the human mind or body. Alcohol, in contrast, which is legal and extremely popular in modern society, causes significant harm in both the short and long terms. It is known to be directly responsible for several life-threatening conditions such as cirrhosis of the liver, cardiovascular disease, and several forms of cancer. Marijuana is responsible for no such disease according to the most recent medical research, and has actually been found in recent large-sample studies to offer a small protective benefit against head, neck and throat cancers. This is thought to be due to the anti-tumoral properties of THC and several other active cannabinoids. Furthermore, according to the world's medical literature there has never been a single death attributed to marijuana. There are tens of thousands of deaths each year worldwide directly attributed to alcohol. Marijuana is objectively a safer substance. The following table clearly shows the relative risks and potential benefits of these two substances:

Alcohol: Positive: - supposed cardiovascular benefits, health officials are still conflicted on the meaning of these findings, and say they may be attributable to an anomaly in data collection. - previously thought to be protective in low doses against stroke, although recent research is inconclusive, and an elevated risk of stroke is found in moderate to high doses. - enjoyable means of social interaction and general leisure Negative: - - prolonged excessive consumption of alcohol can cause permanent damage to the brain and other organs of the body - alcohol is a directly contributing factor in 75,000 deaths each year in the United States - excessive alcohol consumption (defined as more than 3 drinks a day) is a direct cause of the following conditions in otherwise healthy adults: *hypertension *cardiomyopathy *congestive heart failure *cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver *liver and pancreatic cancers *several cancers of the digestive system *fetal alcohol syndrome and birth defects *stroke *malabsorption *death at amounts as low as 10 times the effective dose - alcohol withdrawal can cause a multitude of serious health problems including seizure and manic episodes. It is also unique in it's ability to cause death. Opiate withdrawal, including from drugs like hydrocodone and heroin, is not even capable of doing so. - severely impairs motor control and reaction times, in addition to statistically increasing risk-taking behavior - alcohol abuse has been shown to contribute to several mental and psychotic disorders including dementia and alcohol induced psychosis in high chronic doses - strong statistical correlation between alcohol use and domestic violence, rape, and traffic fatalities - long-term use of alcohol in excessive quantities is capable of damaging nearly every organ and system in the body

Marijuana: Positive: - very useful for the treatment of nausea and vomiting in aids and cancer patients - recent large-sample study conducted in Los Angeles found a negative correlation between heavy marijuana use and head, neck and throat cancers - significantly decreases intra-occular pressure in glaucoma patients - beneficial in treatment of pain associated with multiple-sclerosis and bone disorders -effective sleep aid without any risk of accidental overdose or respiratory arrest - shown to be effective in the treatment of social anxiety and general anxiety disorders, although not unlike prescription anxiolytics, there is a risk of increased anxiety as well. It is not recommended that an individual begin taking marijuana if already successful with prescription medication. -safe and enjoyable alternative means to social interaction and leisure, no recorded overdose deaths in medical history Negative: - - when smoked, increased risk of respiratory irritation and bronchitis (phlegm) -increased risk of anxiety in prone individuals -causes a decrease in blood pressure which can increase the risk of fainting -a recent study found a correlation between cannabis consumption and schizophrenia, however no causal mechanism could be established or proven. It is thought to be an incidental finding, and not a direct cause of any mental disease that would not otherwise have manifested itself. Perhaps the most compelling piece of evidence against this is that incidence of schizophrenia has been declining in the last decade while marijuana use accross all age groups has increased.

^^Interesting. They left out a negative side effect of pot. It can lead to over-eating.

In my opinion there are 2 main reasons that Marijuana is illegal -

1. It has beneficial medical benefits and the drug companies cannot patten them so they lobby to keep them illegal.

2. Marijuana protects people from being influenced by external mind control effort of the media and the military. Marijuana was not actually made illegal until after law enforcemen­t started arresting people for its use and when it was made illegal was definitely after the Government Mind control experiment­s with LSD, THC and other chemicals. That is when the government made real efforts toward stopping Marijuana.

Number 2 is the main reason I believe that Marijuana remains illegal - there is no other reason for such a staunch attitude from the Government on this. Law enforcemen­t agencies really don't care they only do what they are told - so it has to be an outside influence that continues to keep Marijuana illegal.

That's my 2 cents.

Alcohol.

I think that alcohol is the much more dangerous drug. Alcohol abuse leads to violence. Most fights start after drinking bouts. Spousal abuse cases usually involve alcohol abuse by one or both parties.

Marijuana seems to make the users mellow rather than combative. The big problem with illicit marijuana as I see it, is that an awful lot of street products contain additives designed either to be more addictive or to increase the weight and volume of the product. One of the dealers in my town cooks up his own meth and adds it to his pot before selling. He has managed to get several people I know addicted to meth.

I'd like to see marijuana legalized and quality inspected just as tobacco and booze is. It could even be taxed and still be less expensive than booze or cigarettes. I know that pot is good for pain relief and far safer than many prescription pain killers.

Alcohol, though I guess for me personally it would be marijuana because I'm allergic to it, but over all, alcohol is far more detrimental. You don't hear about too many car accidents caused by someone high on marijuana but it seems you can't go more than a couple of days without hearing about an alcohol-related accident.

I'm morally opposed to both.


Ha. Alcohol.

Nystyle709 wrote:Read my sig........

NY, I've always thought it was interesting that under the circumstances you've at least given the impression that you're more partial to partaking of the grape then to partaking of the sacrament.

alan smithee wrote:

Nystyle709 wrote:Read my sig........

NY, I've always thought it was interesting that under the circumstances you've at least given the impression that you're more partial to partaking of the grape then to partaking of the sacrament.

I am. I'm so not a smoker. My lungs can't take it. I have no interest in smoking weed. I don't even like the smell. However, I do realize how much more destructive alcohol is than marijuana.