Cannabis Vs Alcohol – What's Safer for You?
- 1. What provokes deaths due to overdose
- 2. Risks of cancer and impact of cbd
- 3. Alcohol influence on violence and crime
- 4. Memory loss: forgetting bad memories vs blackouts
- 5. Hangovers: what happens the day after
Although it’s unfair to compare alcohol and marijuana, people never get tired of doing the exact same thing over and over again. Cannabis Vs alcohol – what’s better? This is a question many people wonder, especially when they walk around sipping drinks at parties. If you’re ever wondered the same, this article will help put this debate to rest...hopefully.
Even with the number of deaths due to the consumption of alcohol, there are debates revolving around cannabis. It’s pretty difficult to compare the two, considering there are decades of research dedicated to alcohol whereas cannabis is the new kid in the block.
However, despite the myths and rumors, there’s a clear difference between the two. Remember that there are many factors you could use to compare both of them, and how they affect the human body. The level of addiction is something to consider too, not to mention the long-term effects.
But, anyhow, regardless of the unfairness of it all, let’s compare cannabis vs. alcohol by reviewing a few facts.
1. What Provokes Deaths Due to Overdose
According to various studies, the number of fatalities due to alcohol is spiking faster than ever. What’s alarming is that alcohol is accepted by everyone without any questions. Just like cigarettes are sold in the open, alcohol is also sold without any consequences.
So, what could have caused this rise in deaths? The fact that nobody questions the dangers associated or rampant sales? Well, we think it’s a combination of the two. Additionally, many reports state that moderate consumption isn’t really dangerous. Sure, alcohol won’t kill you if you down a drink or two occasionally, but the problem is that you could get sucked into it faster than you can imagine.
According to a report by the NIH1, more than 88,000 fatalities are documented every year. Also, these numbers don’t even count the number of deaths occurring due to rash-driving or accidents. On the contrary, these numbers purely consist of people dying due to alcohol-related diseases.
Comparing that with cannabis, the number of deaths due to an overdose is nill. Zero. There was a case registered2 earlier on in 2019 that was suspected to be the very first death due to high levels of THC; however, investigations revealed that the deceased didn’t even display extreme levels of THC in the blood.
Of course, there are many cases of people getting admitted to the hospital due to vaping issues, but the culprit is nothing but vitamin E acetate that’s used by unscrupulous dealers in the black market to thicken the oil. If you remain vigilant and purchase cannabis products from trusted sources, you’ll never have to worry about an overdose since it’s estimated that you’ll need to smoke at least 2000 joints to experience a THC overdose!
2. Risks of Cancer and Impact of CBD
It’s a known fact that alcohol is responsible for certain types of cancer. According to the CDC3, drinking alcohol can raise the risk of cancers including throat, mouth, esophagus, rectum, colon, liver and breast cancer. In fact, a report4 by top cancer specialists states that drinking even a single glass of beer or wine every day can increase the likelihood of women developing premenopausal and postmenopausal cancer. We are talking about breast cancer here, so women need to sit up and take note.
Obviously, this also means that the more you consume alcohol, the more you’re at risk of staring at cancer straight in the face. Also, since all this is associated with breast cancer, it doesn’t mean that men are exempted. Drinking affects men equally, so think twice before downing drinks every day.
On the other hand, cannabis is also associated with cancer, but in the opposite way. From skin cancer to lung cancer, there have been claims that cannabis has helped treat cancer. There are many studies on how CBD can treat the side effects of chemotherapy too.
Having said that, smoking joints can increase the risk of cancer since you’re burning plant material. It’s similar to smoking cigarettes because you’re inhaling hot smoke. Therefore, switch to vaping if you want to enjoy marijuana without having to worry about cancer.
3. Alcohol Influence on Violence and Crime
How many times have you heard a friend complaining about domestic abuse due to heavy-drinking? Too many times to count? Well, yes, unfortunately, you’re bound to have at least one friend suffering because of an abusive partner. While all the cases aren’t likely to occur due to alcohol, it’s a known fact that alcohol makes people a little more violent.
Would an abusive partner remain as abusive without the influence of alcohol? Well, we don’t know because there’s a dearth of exact numbers; however, alcohol definitely contributes to wildly swinging moods.
According to a report, alcohol contributes to at least 40% of violent crimes! Whether you believe it or not, alcohol gets tempers flaring and the person bearing the brunt of it all is usually the partner. Comparing the statistics with cannabis, there are no reports of cannabis contributing to violence. In fact, it mellows you down to such an extent that you’ll probably lay down a while rather than doing something adventurous.
4. Memory Loss: Forgetting Bad Memories vs Blackouts
The most notable side effect of cannabis is that you tend to forget things. There have been many studies conducted on this and the results show that cannabis plays a key role in helping you forget bad memories.
But, whether they are bad or good memories, one can’t change the fact that it makes you forget things. Often, the side effects last for a few hours for occasional users while it can last for several weeks for long-term users. Once the THC is flushed out of your body, the negative effects reduce and your memory will be perfectly fine. So, yes, cannabis can make you forgetful if you abuse it.
Comparing that with alcohol, there are several reports of alcohol working similarly. However, alcohol goes a step further. Adding to making you forgetful, abusing alcohol can deliver a swift blackout where you’re unlikely to remember anything that occurred. This usually seems funny especially in movies but it can get real scary pretty fast in reality. Although you tend to feel much better in the mornings, blackouts can make you sicker than you think.
5. Hangovers: What Happens The Day After
Alcohol-induced hangovers can be nasty, and it gets nastier if you mix drinks. For instance, if you’re drinking beer and decide to shift to vodka for the rest of the night, you’ll never forgive yourself the next morning. Hangovers occurring due to alcohol are usually accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and mind-boggling headaches.
Also, hangovers take a long while to reduce. Thus, you can forget about work if you mix and chug drinks like there’s no tomorrow. There are several movies dedicated to what alcohol-induced hangovers look like, so you can check them out if you’re lucky enough to have never experienced one yourself.
Coming to cannabis, there are no hangovers. In fact, even if you’ve passed out due to smoking too many joints or dabbing too many concentrates or whatever rocks your boat, hangovers induced to cannabis are pretty rare. In fact, cannabis makes you feel much better in the mornings because it has the ability to make your muscles relax and offer a good night’s sleep.
You usually wake up fresher and ready to face the world after indulging in cannabis the night before. However, remember that this may not be the case with you because cannabis affects everyone differently. Therefore, take baby steps and figure out how tolerant you are before going crazy with marijuana.
EXTERNAL RESOURCES
1. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse snd Alcoholism: Alcohol Facts and Statistics - https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/alcohol-facts-and-statistics
2. Did a LaPlace woman overdose on marijuana? - https://www.nola.com/news/article_07e22baf-7ea3-5dec-a794-4d17ba5bbb8e.html
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Alcohol and Cancer - https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/alcohol/index.htm
4. Report on Carcinogens, Fourteenth Edition: Alcoholic Beverage Consumption - https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/roc/content/profiles/alcoholicbeverageconsumption.pdf
MEDICAL DISCLAIMER
This content is for educational purposes only. The information provided is derived from research gathered from external sources.
