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Comparing marijuana and alcohol use: which is more harmful

Comparing marijuana and alcohol use: which is more harmful

In 2014, scientists conducted a survey comparing alcohol and marijuana, during which it turned out that 7 out of 10 respondents consider cannabis to be safer than alcohol. This is the subjective opinion of the majority of respondents, which, however, coincides with the opinion of scientists.

Perhaps the strongest argument in favor of marijuana is that it does not directly cause death, while alcohol leads to the development of fatal diseases. In 2012, there were 3 million deaths in the United States due to disease and direct alcohol poisoning.

Assessing the harm that alcohol and marijuana causes to the human body, in fairness it should be said that the largest number of deaths is not associated with direct alcohol poisoning, but with the chronic consequences that it provokes. At the same time, no one has ever died from a marijuana overdose.

On the contrary, cannabis has a reasoned medical use, while no doctor would advise a patient to be treated with alcohol.

Medical Potential: Cannabis Against Alcohol

Doctors in the United States and around the world are increasingly prescribing medical marijuana to patients, which they purchase from a licensed supplier. It is not only smoked like a joint, but also evaporated, eaten and taken as a liquid for pain conditions: from common migraines to spinal injuries. It helps with nausea and loss of appetite, which is accompanied, for example, by chemotherapy. Medical marijuana is prescribed for Crohn's disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, anxiety, stress, depression, and many other conditions.

Driving: which is worse - alcohol or marijuana

In this, their effects are similar - in both cases, you should not drive. A smoker should wait at least 4 hours after drinking before driving. Even in Canada, where the use of marijuana is completely legal, there is a rule against driving in such a state.

Overdose: comparing alcohol and cannabis

How often have you seen in movies, read in books or heard on the news how someone, having taken a lot on the chest for courage, died from an overdose of sleeping pills or painkillers? Have you heard of someone committing suicide with marijuana? That's the same.

Like most hard drugs and medicines, alcohol can be fatal. However, in the case of marijuana, studies show that it is simply impossible to die from an overdose.

But to think that marijuana is as beautiful as a plate of vegetables or fruit salad would be wrong. Deaths indirectly caused by the use of this plant are still documented: for example, in road accidents or as a result of accidents.

Let's figure out how much marijuana you need to smoke to die. There is an indicator LD50, which denotes a lethal dose of a substance.

  • For alcohol: LD50=10. This figure means: if you are already drunk enough, but decided to continue the banquet and exceeded your personal dose by 10 times, then irreversible consequences cannot be avoided. Usually, this condition comes out with medical help.
  • For heroin, LD50=5. A drug addict needs to exceed the possible dose by 5 times in order to die from an overdose.
  • For marijuana, LD50 = 40,000. These figures were not calculated on people, because it is simply impossible to smoke so much, but on rodents. 40,000 Carl! And that's it.

“Greening” - what a cannabis overdose looks like

Too much use is still fraught with unpleasant consequences. In medical jargon, this is called “greening” and is accompanied by:

  • dizziness, tachycardia, shortness of breath;
  • pallor, restlessness, disorientation;
  • vomiting, trembling, hallucinations.

Yes, alcohol is more harmful than marijuana, but do not forget about moderation, because you can bring yourself to the limit with the help of even safe substances. By the way, the symptoms of “greening” are no longer those who smoke, but those who eat products containing THC. The reason for this is the slow “arrival”, which can only come about 3 hours after someone inexperienced has tried an unusual cookie.

Marijuana Reduces Alcohol Caused Brain Damage

A 2013 study published in the journal Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior found that cannabidiol attenuates neurodegeneration when it is caused by overeating and excessive alcohol consumption. The experiment was carried out on rodents that were injected intramuscularly or using a transdermal (skin) patch with a controlled dose of CBD.

Marijuana contains natural antioxidants, which include both THC and CBD. Cannabidiol has shown itself in this regard as a stronger substance, whose antioxidant properties are superior even to vitamin E and synthetic analogues.

Looking at the results of similar studies,It becomes clear: in the battle “which is more harmful - alcohol or cannabis”, alcohol definitely wins. Approximately 8.5% of Americans are registered as chronic alcoholics (it's scary to imagine what these numbers are for Ukraine). If these people stop drinking, the consequences that their addiction entailed will remain with them for life.

There is a strong possibility that marijuana will be used to treat alcoholism in the future. It is possible that advanced trends will touch our country as well. So far, in Ukraine, can buy ordinary cannabis seeds for treatment only as a creative souvenir.

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