cannabis
Contrary to public opinion, cannabis isn’t as harmful as alcohol. Instead, it has a range of health benefits for consumers.
So far, every anti-drug ad promoted weed as a menacing plant, which is merely an exaggerated distortion of facts. Some pieces of information about cannabis effects on the human body aren’t even correct. Many advertisements show people falling off the rails comically to establish a link between delinquent behaviors and cannabis consumers. Whatever scenario the ads depict, they all share a common mission: present cannabis as one of humanity’s biggest threats.
But, one might ask why these anti-drugs ad campaigns never show alcohol in a similar, negative light, despite being much more harmful than weed? Though we have been watching ads on alcoholism for decades, and alcohol’s adverse health effects are widely known. Still, a majority of alcohol ads feature parties or adventure as their central theme. All that we get is a “Drink Responsibly” disclaimer after a rather celebratory or feel-good commercial.
Such misleading marketing campaigns have been convincing people for decades that cannabis is highly dangerous while ignoring scientific researches regarding this matter. Scientific findings portray a completely different picture by declaring alcohol as more dangerous than weed. Here are the top ten lesser-known yet scientifically proven facts that prove cannabis is safer than alcohol.
Here are the top 10 reasons why:
- DEATH RATE
We didn’t want to start on an uninspiring note; however, it is a fact that the death toll happens to be the most significant indicator of danger. Studies claim that in 2016 alcohol abuse claimed more than 3 million lives worldwide [1], including cases of alcohol poisoning and deaths due to health issues caused by alcohol such as cancer and stroke, etc. Comparatively, the marijuana-led death toll is surprisingly 0. Although there have been cases when drinkers got involved in car accidents, but drunk driving is an entirely different issue.
- OVERDOSE
Alcohol Solutions claim that in the United States, around 50,000 patients get diagnosed with alcohol poisoning annually. The situation is just as bad in the United Kingdom as underage patients visiting the hospital due to alcohol poisoning, increasing by 20% every year since 2013 [2]. As per the estimates shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 2011 and 2012, on average, six people died from alcohol poisoning daily [3]. Do you want to know how many people died due to marijuana overdose during this timeframe? ZERO. You need to smoke somewhere between 238 to 1,113 joints (about 15-70gm of pure THC) to overdose [4]. Of course, it’s easier said than done.
- SERIOUS ILLNESSES
Breast cancer, liver cancer, colon cancer, and chronic diseases ischaemic heart disease, and epilepsy are caused by excessive, long-term alcohol abuse. It doesn’t mean that marijuana is all clean. However, it mainly causes lung issues, notably when combined with tobacco, and in severe cases, it may cause psychotic episodes. Yet, nobody develops as fatal diseases due to marijuana use, as is the case with alcohol. Even psychotic episodes are also associated with alcohol use. So, the risks associated with alcohol consumption are more severe than marijuana.
- VIOLENT BEHAVIORS AND INJURY RATES
It is a false assumption that people get violent after smoking cannabis. We don’t know how you react, but we don’t have enough impetus or energy to commit violent crimes after smoking marijuana. An American Journal of Emergency Medicine study concluded that weed was rarely associated with injuries resulting from assault even with long-term use [5]. Conversely, research revealed that alcohol was the primary cause behind 36% of hospital visits due to assaults and 21% of all injuries resulting from assault [6]. When a single drug causes such a high number of hospital visits, it can hardly be considered safe.
- IMPACT ON THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
Marijuana is commonly perceived as the ultimate brain killer when compared to alcohol. However, the reality is entirely the opposite. According to research from Scripps Research Institute quoted in an article by Dr. Gary L. Wenk [7] published in Psychology Today, binge drinking leads to a substantial loss in neurogenesis (the process of new brain cell formation), and this continues even after quitting alcohol. Surprisingly, recent studies on cannabis’s impact on the nervous system revealed that cannabinoid receptors’ stimulation could activate neurogenesis.
- CURATIVE EFFECTS
Weed has the edge over alcohol when it comes to medicinal properties. Many individuals use cannabis for their therapeutic effects. People suffering from nausea or chronic pain are often prescribed cannabinoid therapies or marijuana in regions where its medical use is legal. Whereas the last time a doctor prescribed whiskey to his patients was back in the 1870s.
- DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY
Cannabis overuse can intensify these issues, but most patients of depression and anxiety experience relief with medical marijuana use. Let’s not forget that there hasn’t been much research in this area, and marijuana is not a potent treatment option in mental health issues, as yet. Still, individuals self-administer different ratios of CBD and THC.
The anxiolytic potential of CBD is currently under examination. In one of the studies, [8] CBD was prescribed to patients of social phobia before a stimulated public speaking test. Researchers discovered that cannabinoid led to a considerable reduction in subjective anxiety.
Alcohol’s situation isn’t as promising. It is nicknamed as a depressant, for it affects the central nervous system negatively. Chronic use of alcohol causes numerous mental health issues, including anxiety and depression.
- OBESITY
Many marijuana smokers experience ill-timed hunger pangs, especially when they are high, which is a condition known as The Munchies. However, weed users aren’t the ‘lazy stoners’ as we all believe them to be as they are at the lower end of the BMI (body mass index) spectrum [9] than non-users.
On the other hand, alcohol is loaded with calories and doesn’t contain any beneficial nutrients. Rates of obesity are higher in binge drinkers as it increases the rate of adipose tissue in the body [10] that makes one obese.
- CANCER
As mentioned above, alcohol is one of the leading causes of many types of cancer, whereas cannabis can treat cancer. Traditionally, marijuana is used for relieving chemotherapy side effects and other physiological aftereffects of the disease.
Interestingly, preliminary research [11] reveals that cannabinoids can slow the growth of in vitro cancer cells and even destroy them. However, cannabis isn’t yet proven to be a reliable cancer treatment option, but scientists are positive that it has sufficient potential.
- ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Alcohol consumption can lead to various neurodegenerative diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease is one of them. A study published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation concluded that the impact of alcohol on phagocytosis contributes to Alzheimer’s disease.
As far as cannabis is concerned, data from preclinical studies [12] reveal that when taken in small amounts, THC can significantly reduce the production of beta-amyloid protein, which is a potential contributor to Alzheimer’s. Nevertheless, it is essential to note that the evidence is insufficient to declare cannabis as a successful treatment option for the condition. Still, the results of studies so far are encouraging and highlight the neuroprotective properties of cannabis.
Hence, cannabis is more versatile, safe, and harmless for humans than alcohol.