Marijuana Vs Alcohol

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The question of debate is what is genuinely worse for your health, alcohol or marijuana? Both alcohol and marijuana consumption can affect the body, and both can ultimately result in long and short-term health effects. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), alcohol intake has been linked with annually 88,000 deaths. Whereas for marijuana users, there is no specific number because the deaths are harder to count for since it 's easier to detect alcohol within the body. Philip Denney, an MD / Physician, stated, “I have found in my study of these patients that Cannabis is really a safe, effective and non-toxic alternative to many standard medications. There is no such thing as an overdose. We have seen very minimal problems …show more content…

It’s easy to determine whether a drug has addictive qualities that make your body crave this substance, usually within the first few times of consumption, the user can see if their body desires it. Alcohol and cannabis are two substances that do not perceive the same qualities like some addictions, i.e., cocaine, heroin, Crystal Meth but still when not taken moderately can form a severe problem. Starting with the short-term health effects of alcohol, which are not all too bad. Those of legal drinking age will experience no detrimental impact from having a small serving of alcohol daily. Consuming a glass a wine, beer, or single shot a day can decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as dementia. Enjoying alcohol in moderation can benefit your health, although when individuals begin to abuse the substance or consume more than the body can handle; that 's when vital harm can occur. Although marijuana is prohibited in most states within the United States, people still have access to medical programs, which allows them to have a prescribed license to pick up medicine to help their condition. There are many different ways to consume this drug: joint, pipe, bong, blunt, edibles or even hash oil; the high will vary depending on the form the individual chooses. Intaking marijuana moderately has a few short-term effects on …show more content…

Once an individual forms a dependence with the substance, it ultimately has long-term health effects, such as death and loss of brain cells, liver damage, cirrhosis, pancreatitis, nerve damage. Tolerance is a long-term effect that causes the body to become accustomed to the excessive and high doses of alcohol, after drinking for a long span of time. They no longer experience the short-term effects that would convince a moderate drinker to stop. This tolerance is dangerous and can lead to alcoholism and result in the individual needing help to quit. When an individual has consumed alcohol their impaired, influencing them to do things they typically wouldn’t, if being in the right state of mind. Drinking doesn’t just affect one person; it changes the world around them if they make the wrong decision. CDC stated that in 2015 “10,265 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for nearly one-third (29%) of all traffic-related deaths in the United States.” Alcohol when in comparison to the long-term effects of smoking cannabis, is far worse. Marijuana alters brain development when individuals begin using marijuana at a young age; the drug can impair thinking, memory, and learning functions. A study from New Zealand conducted by researchers at Duke University found that those who