If you have ever smoked weed or drank alcohol, you can confirm that the two differ considerably from each other. We know what our preference is, but do you know what is best for you?
People have been consuming alcohol and marijuana for thousands of years and both are deeply rooted in different cultures. But there are quite a few differences between liquor and weed and they are both used on different occasions. Below we will examine the most striking differences between cannabis and alcohol.
KEY DIFFERENCES
Depending on your cultural background and where you live, smoking marijuana can be socially more accepted than drinking alcohol. The opposite, however, also occurs. In some cultures it is completely normal to enjoy a joint and a film on your own. While drinking alcohol on your own is often condemned.
The main differences between marijuana and alcohol become clear when we look at how these drugs affect the normal functioning of the brain. The cerebellum is a part of the brain that is drastically influenced by alcohol. It regulates your balance and movement, which is also the reason why people often become awkward when they have had too much alcohol. Alcohol also affects the cerebral cortex, where decisions are made. This allows drinkers to make hasty decisions.
Cannabis works in a different way. It focuses on receptors that are naturally present in your brain, central nervous system and the rest of your body. Cannabinoids like THC are very similar to endogenous cannabinoids. They bind to receptors such as CB1 and CB2 to generate psychoactive and potentially useful effects. This is why many people prefer to be stoned than drunk. The cannabis high can indeed take away the inhibitions. But it is much more likely that alcohol results in inappropriate or atypical behavior.
HEALTH DIFFERENCES
In the end alcohol is deadly. You can indeed die from an overdose of alcohol, but also from the withdrawal symptoms. However, no one has ever died from a marijuana overdose. In the US alone, there are six deaths from alcohol poisoning every day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Drinking can lead to alcoholic liver disease and that can lead to cancer. Trying to stop drinking can also be dangerous. The withdrawal symptoms of alcohol are very serious. If not acted correctly, the body system can collapse, with potentially fatal consequences. Marijuana does not have negative long-term effects, but less research has been done on marijuana than on alcohol.
Another important factor is that alcohol has no real medicinal applications. Although it is claimed that moderate drinkers enjoy health benefits, this has not been clinically proven. Marijuana, however, creates a completely new industry in the medical world. The medicinal applications are numerous and it is already successfully used for the treatment of various diseases.
When analyzing the information that has already been collected, we see a trend. Despite the more widespread legality of alcohol as opposed to marijuana, the latter is undoubtedly much more safer.
WHY MARIJUANA IS BETTER
For starters, there is no risk of a hangover. If you get ultra-stoned, you can sometimes end up with a sort of "green-out". But this is certainly not enough to affect your productivity, mood or well-being the next day. It is clear that the same can not be said of alcohol. This is probably also the reason why chronic marijuana users often function better than frequent alcohol users.
Also, no blackouts are associated with marijuana use, although the loss of short-term memory is a known effect. But you simply forget why you went to the fridge again and you do not lose all nights. If you have become quite stoned an evening, you just wake up the next morning with a good feeling. You never think, "Oh no, what did I do last night?" You more likely will think: "What a great evening I have had." You may wake up next to your partner and remember the great sex of that night. Because that is also a great benefit of marijuana: it can improve sexual intercourse!
Alcohol does not work in the same way. You are more concerned with nausea and dizziness than with what you are actually doing. In 2016, New York University published a paper in which the influence of marijuana and alcohol on the sexual experience was investigated. The research team concluded that marijuana improves sensations, making sexual activity more pleasant, while alcohol numbs the body. In 2017, a Stanford study was also published. It states that stoners have 20% more sex than non-smokers. So now we basically can conclude that marijuana users have more and better sex! Now you understand why we are marijuana lovers. Alcohol is not for everyone and not for every situation. Only you can judge what is best for you. Smoke and drink responsible and you will certainly have a good time.
