Weed or Alcohol: Which Substance Is More Detrimental to Health?

Get updates on cannabis culture, new research, and expert insights Yale Medicine reports that ALD is rarely found in occasional drinkers, and more typically occurs in those who have consumed alcohol excessively for several years. The amount of alcohol it takes to trigger ALD varies from person to person and is dependent on several factors. Northwestern Medicine Hepatologist, Justin R. Boike, told Northwestern Medicine’s HealthBeat, “…you can’t live without a liver, and you can’t live with liver failure.

A notable steps to quit drinking research study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs found that traffic fatalities increased by 4% and accidents with injuries jumped by close to 6% in states that had legalized recreational marijuana. Even in people who are light drinkers, consuming alcohol impacts brain function and can lead to bad decisions. Recent research suggests that people who are moderate to heavy drinkers are at a 57% increased risk of developing dementia. Although not as widespread, the harmful effects of marijuana on the brain, including brain development, may be greater.

Explore residential drug rehabs or specialized alcohol addiction treatment programs to find the right environment for healing. Between alcohol what is benzo belly and cannabis, many people see marijuana as the lesser evil. Every month, 150,000 people search for addiction or mental health treatment on Recovery.com. She warned that both alcohol and cannabis are psychoactive substances that can impair reaction time and cognitive processing, raising the risk of accidents and injuries.

• Alcohol detox can take a significant amount of time and have heavy withdrawal symptoms, while cannabis withdrawal can last anywhere from a few days to a couple weeks.
• When it comes to drinking alcohol and smoking cannabis, the road to health is complex and individual experiences may vary.
• “I think it’s fair to say that in both cases, heavy use of either is going to lead to poor health outcomes,” Voineskos finished.
• The dependency rate for cannabis users stands at 9% compared to alcohol’s 15% dependency rate among users.
• Between alcohol and cannabis, many people see marijuana as the lesser evil.

Increased Risk of Alcohol Abuse on Teenagers

Alcohol has been proven to have negative effects on the brain through multiple studies over the years. Many studies have shown that marijuana and alcohol can both have a negative effect on teens. While there are some issues to the abuse of cannabis they are nowhere near as hazardous as alcoholism and the toll of alcohol on the body.

Social and Legal Implications

Thankfully, as more states legalize cannabis and recreational sales we can observe more data about the effect on death and accident rates. However, this is low compared to 40% of all car crashes that directly involve alcohol. Legalization has provided data points about the potential increase in accidents related to cannabis. Again, there isn’t significant data to point to specific deaths caused solely by weed. That roughly translates to cannabis is not directly related to any increase in the chances of death or has a significant impact on your lifespan.

Marijuana vs. Alcohol: Which Is Really Worse for Your Health?

• While there are some issues to the abuse of cannabis they are nowhere near as hazardous as alcoholism and the toll of alcohol on the body.
• Future research should focus on resolving contradictions posed by previous studies, and patients who smoke cannabis should be counseled to wait several hours before driving, and avoid combining the two drugs.
• A recent meta-analysis in Heart found that cannabis users face a 20% higher risk of stroke and twice the risk of dying from cardiovascular causes.
• Learn about what marijuana use disorder is, the kinds of rehab treatment centers available, and how to find marijuana addiction treatment near you.
• Although for palliative care, he said, “that would be a different realm of medicine,” in which the goal is to drug a person so they do not feel pain.
• This puts alcohol at #4 on the list of leading preventable causes of death in the U.S., just after tobacco, poor diet/physical inactivity, and illegal drugs.

Chronic or excessive alcohol consumption is known to affect balance and disrupts normal walking patterns. THC, the psychoactive chemical in cannabis, is almost instantly absorbed and quickly reaches high blood concentration after inhalation through the lungs. One of the most common ways to ingest cannabis is through smoking. This chemical surge provides temporary relief from negative emotions and can produce increased confidence, sociableness, relaxation or elation. One likely reason for the growing public aversion to drinking is the rise of the sober-curious movement. But on the flip side, 49 percent of Americans believe that cannabis use affects society positively, per a recent Gallup poll.

Smoking can have an impact on your lung health similar to cigarette smoke. Cannabis can have cognitive effects including short-term memory loss and difficulties concentrating. If you’re comparing alcohol vs. weed here are some pros and cons. Many of the issues have to do with legality and preconceived judgment of cannabis. You may be wondering if you should use weed or alcohol.

The data demonstrates alcohol’s more significant public health burden requiring comprehensive intervention strategies while cannabis demands targeted monitoring systems. Medical facilities report 65% effectiveness in alcohol intervention programs versus 40% for cannabis treatment protocols. Alcohol-related healthcare expenses total $249 billion annually in the US, while cannabis-related costs reach $11 billion. The legal framework creates additional barriers for cannabis users even though lower rates of harmful behavior compared to alcohol consumers. The dependency rate for cannabis users stands at 9% compared to alcohol’s 15% dependency rate among users.

Epidemiology of marijuana smoking and road traffic accidents

In January, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory on the link between alcohol and at least seven types of cancer, including breast and colorectal. The researchers also acknowledged that the findings do not prove that cannabis use causes heart problems. The use of any information provided on this website is solely at your own risk. The information provided on this website is intended for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The statements made regarding cannabis products on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Both substances are harmful and can lead to addiction. The review looked at data from nearly 600 studies across 195 countries and territories between 1990 and 2016. Men who used marijuana were the least likely to commit an act of intimate partner violence against a spouse. On the other hand, no such relationship appears to exist for cannabis. The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) also highlights alcohol as the most commonly used chemical in crimes of sexual assault.

Weed Vs Alcohol On Brain

In an accompanying editorial, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, urged health professionals to assess cannabis use in all patients, just like tobacco and alcohol use, and educate them about cannabis risks. However, marijuana users—including medical marijuana users—are at higher risk when it comes to the direct impact of cannabis on brain development and brain aging. Young adults and older folks who use cannabis regularly are also vulnerable to these mental health problems because of the effects of marijuana on the brain—even in those who might not have cannabis use disorder.

Alcohol is not only more addictive it also can cause more lasting damage to your health than cannabis. What is an alcohol overdose compared to a cannabis overdose? What are the negative impacts of cannabis and alcohol use? While in the past people may have used alcohol as a pain reliever or to clean instruments it’s often considered, medically, more harmful than helpful.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that consuming cannabis is completely safe and drinking alcohol is always dangerous. To date, there isn’t any clinical research on cannabinoids and alcohol-related liver disease. Some studies have even found that smoking cannabis might protect your liver, but keep in mind that this clinical data is small and isn’t strong enough yet.

Getting a medical marijuana card can ensure that you have access to regulated medical marijuana simply and easily. If you want to seek out medical marijuana for a specific condition consider finding a doctor with Green Health Docs. However, dosing with edibles can be imperfect and take time to ascertain so when using edibles it’s best to pace yourself and examine how you feel.

Euphoric effects generally kick in within the first 10 to 15 minutes and are correlated with transient changes in the brain’s electroencephalographic activity (EEG) activity. After being absorbed through the lining of the stomach into the bloodstream, it spreads into tissues throughout the body and reaches the brain in about five minutes, according to Northwestern Medicine. Here’s what we know about Store Urine for Drug Test how the alcohol and weed impact the body and mind.