Marijuana vs. Alcohol
An interesting speculation that people often make is that marijuana is worse for the body than alcohol. As popular as this notion is, it really could not be any farther from the truth. While neither of these intoxicants are particularly good for the user, marijuana does hold a clear edge over the more popular and widely accepted alcohol. When one gets down to the facts, it is a mystery why alcohol has achieved such acceptance over the much less harmful marijuana. This aversion to weed is due in part to an anti marijuana campaign that swayed the minds of the public many years ago. The campaign was started by Harry Anslinger and still continues to have an effect on our laws about Marijuana today.
The negative side effects of alcohol are easy to see because they are so much more extreme than those of other safer intoxicants. Many people are prone to violence after having a bit too much to drink. Users becoming violent is definitely the biggest problem with using alcohol. Those who drink alcohol in excess are often associated with over confidence which may lead to drunk driving. Apart from that, it is impossible to die from a marijuana overdose but this can indeed happen with alcohol. When drinking with friends, one should always remember moderation and the negative side effects of the liquid should it be taken in excess.
Now this is not to say that marijuana does not have its negative side effects as well. Users are prone to laziness and short term memory loss which can be very detrimental over long periods of time. Additionally, smoking in general is harmful to one’s respiratory system. The cough is a natural reflex to kick the unwanted smoke from one’s lungs. Long term exposure to smoke in one’s lungs can lead to many health problems. These health problems occur not only in the lungs, but in the heart as well. Though marijuana is far from benign, those who study the facts usually agree that it is much less harmful to the body than alcohol is.
The Pros and Cons
The practice of taking things in which are not beneficial to the body for a high goes back centuries. People have always liked to have a little something that makes them feel funny to get them through the day. While the intoxicant varies from person to person, the basic idea remains the same. The buzzes caused by all these different drugs can be extremely different as no two substances are exactly alike. While sitting on the couch all day and doing nothing is not very productive, it is not harmful to other people like the side effects of alcohol tend to be. Long term users of marijuana do indeed have their problems though. The best advice I can give is to moderate your consumption like a sensible person. Too much of anything is bound to have drawbacks.
Even though both of these substances have their down sides, the facts remain. For one, alcohol is attributed to many deaths every year while marijuana is not even a category for the CDC. One can overdose on alcohol which is a feat impossible for marijuana users. Long before one could overdose on weed, they would pass out from being so faded! The health risks associated with alcohol simply cost more than those of marijuana as well. While we have all heard that both marijuana and alcohol damage brain cells, new studies suggest that THC actually has many neuro protective properties.
There are many other reasons to use marijuana over alcohol. The latter is attributed to types of cancer while the former is not despite years of hearing so. Another big problem is that alcohol is much more addictive than marijuana. While those with addictive personalities have to watch out for any such substances, the likelihood of becoming dependent on alcohol is far greater than that of marijuana. Risk of injury is also much greater in alcohol users than in marijuana users. When looking at the facts, it is hard to believe that we ever believed the relatively safe marijuana was more dangerous than alcohol.
Finally, marijuana is much safer for others and not just the user. For example, alcohol tends to inspire violent tendencies of all kinds while marijuana chills you out. Alcohol is often linked to both domestic and sexual assault cases. In fact, it is a major contributor in such crimes while marijuana has no such tendencies. Interestingly, it is estimated that about 25 – 30% of violent crimes in the United States are linked to alcohol. If that is not a reason to use marijuana over alcohol, I don’t know what is. On a day where a man is drinking, the odds of abuse to his partner increase eight times than if he weren’t drinking. More people ought to explore the fact and find out what marijuana is really all about.
Usage of Marijuana on the Rise
In the end, marijuana is no wonder drug. It’s not going to solve all of your problems or get you as messed up as many other substances would. But it is relatively safe compared to just about every other intoxicant on the planet, including alcohol. Perhaps if it were more accessible, dependencies on these other dangerous drugs might decrease a little bit. There are so many drugs out there that cause death, infection, and many other horrible things that marijuana is simply not prone to. Now, sitting on the couch smoking weed all day is not the answer either. It is important to find balance in one’s life no matter what.
Most people would agree that using substances like marijuana, alcohol, and others is not a very good idea. And yet, it seems the usage of these substances increases year after year. We can’t deny that it is a very human thing to want a little buzz at the end of the day. If an animal in the wild inhaled smoke or drank alcohol, they would probably dislike the way it felt and never do it again. But we seem to love to torture ourselves for a quick fix time and time again. As long as your substance of choice is used in moderation, then you ought to be all right. But know that the negative connotation of drug use exists for a reason.
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