Drinking alcohol is legal as long as you are of legal age which is 21 and you have the corresponding IDs to show for. On the other hand, Marijuana is still on its way to becoming a legal substance in parts of the USA. More so, the topic between Weed vs Alcohol usage is up for debates again as more and more people are consuming marijuana. Although drinking alcohol means it is safer because you aren’t being criminalized about it, does that necessarily mean that it is a safer choice to consume compared to Marijuana
People often think that smoking weed is beneficial compared to alcohol, or vice versa. It creates confusion among communities whether which part is beneficial and which are not. That’s why in this article, we’ll discuss the issue between Weed vs alcohol. Buckle up your seat as we take a deeper understanding between these two substances.
The Issue with Alcohol
Altogether, smoking and drinking have their fair share of short and long term effects. However, according to the CDC, there are more deaths each year associated with drinking alcohol compared to smoking Marijuana.
Drinking large amounts of alcohol can ultimately lead to a buildup of alcohol in your brain resulting in shutting down of other bodily functions, these bodily function includes breathing and heart rate. Also, excessive consumption of alcohol can lead to various diseases that are detrimental to one’s health, these include liver problems, high blood pressure, heart diseases, and even cancer.
Also, another research suggests that drinking a bottle or two of alcohol at the end of the day may be more dangerous for your health compared to a few puffs of marijuana. That is not to say that smoking weed doesn’t come weed any repercussions.
The Issue with Marijuana
Smoking weed has its downside, and it should be well taken care of just like consuming alcohol. Smoking large doses of weeds also lead to impairment of bodily functions, reducing balance and coordination thus increasing the risk of hurting yourself or other people. Consumption of marijuana also has the potential to increase the presence of any psychiatric issues especially for people who are already predisposed to such problems.
Because weed is typically consumed through smoking, it has detrimental effects on the lungs such as bronchitis inflammation of air passages, and regular coughing. Especially for pot-smoker teens, there’s a growing concern due to smoking weed’s interference through our brain and might be a nuisance for a developing brain for young teens.
Despite drawbacks with the use of weed, there are many health benefits associated with the use of marijuana. Not only that, but these health benefits are also well-documented that’s why there is rapid legalization of Marijuana in parts of the world.
Things to Keep in mind when comparing Weed and Alcohol
Before getting into the thick of things when comparing the two, it would be wise to know the factors that make it tricky between the two. These are:
- Lack of research – although studies and researches are ramping up its duties, we still lack valuable information about marijuana as compared to alcohol. We all know about beer because it is widely used all over the world compared to marijuana. Also, consuming weed might be a safer choice compared to alcohol but we do not know the extent of its long-term effects too.
- Diversity of Products – there are many ways to consume marijuana, from edibles, smoking, and a lot more. The way you consume weed has a factor in your health, either short or long-term effects. For example, smoking weed directly targets the lungs whereas it has a different take when weed is consumed through edibles.
- Individual biology – reactions from both smoking weed and drinking alcohol varies from person to person. Always remember that it doesn’t work the same for everyone. Different people have different interactions with these substances and may result in a good or positive way.
Short term Effects of Weed vs Alcohol
As mentioned earlier, alcohol and weed affect each person differently. Getting high or drunk may have a similar sensation to people but others describe these sensations in a very different way. Of course, the feeling of being intoxicated highly depends on the amount of weed or alcohol you consumed.
Alcohol
Intoxication due to consuming alcohol has a different reaction to people. While one person might feel relaxed due to intoxication, others may feel restless about it.
Other short term effects include:
- Cognitive impairment
- Drowsiness
- Giddiness
- Restlessness
- Shorter attention span
- Relaxation
- Nausea and vomiting
And, of course, there’s the hangover too which you can soon expect the next day. Hangover works differently from person to person as well.
Weed
Just like drinking alcohol, smoking weed is quite different from person to person too. Some of the most common effects of smoking weed include:
- Mental distortion
- Altered perception of time
- Dry mouth
- Bloodshot eyes
- Euphoria
- Impaired judgment
- Impaired cognitive skills
- Nausea
- Pain-relief
- Increased appetite
Verdict on their short-term effects
While being intoxicated with alcohol is different from getting intoxicated with weed, both of them induce cognitive impairment and abilities, judgment, and reflexes. Also, getting intoxicated with these two will leave you feeling unpleasant and a bit worse but it is more likely to happen with alcohol.
Long-term Effects of Weed vs Alcohol
The same with short-term effects, long-term effects for smoking and drinking varies from person to person.
Alcohol
When consuming alcohol heavily within a long period, alcohol has a variety of long-term effects too, including:
- Liver diseases – excessive drinking is time and time again the culprit of liver diseases. Liver functions aren’t working properly when consuming large amounts of alcohol. It affects the liver’s ability to detoxify and process substance.
- Pancreatitis – the leading cause of pancreatitis is alcoholism.
- Heart problems – heavy drinking can lead to heart problems in the long run.
- Erectile dysfunction – one of the known long-term effects of drinking alcohol.
- Infertility – long term use of alcohol may have a significant impact on both male and female.
- Central nervous system damage – heavy drinking often leads to tingling and numbing sensation that can be felt throughout the body.
Weed
The long-term effects of using marijuana are not quite clear yet. Plus, there’s the notion that weed is consumed in a lot of ways. So, these are some of the long-term effects of using weed.
Brain development issues – a 2014 study showed that teens who smoke during the early parts of their teenage years lead to brain development issues during the later stages of their lives. However, the issue couldn’t confirm whether the conditions are permanent or not.
Schizophrenia – although the link between weed and schizophrenia is quite too complex for a normal person to understand, however – experts believe that it can trigger the onset of schizophrenia in a certain individual, particularly for those individuals whose family has a history of it.
The Verdict on their long-term effects
It seems that weed has fewer long-term effects compared to alcohol. But then again, there’s a big discrepancy in the quantity of research with regards to weed compared to the use of alcohol.
Wrapping things up!
The debate on Weed vs Alcohol is a tough topic to answer. Both have different takes on a human’s body. However, as more and more research is ramping up, it should lead us to the right place whether it is safer.
Lastly, regardless of weed or alcohol, it should be important to use these substances in moderation. Remember that overusing these substances have short-term and long-term effects that are quite unpleasant to have. Smoke or drink in moderation is highly recommended.
