It’s a commonly held belief that smoking weed has fewer negative health effects than drinking alcohol, especially now that marijuana is legal in New York and many other states across the country. Aside from direct impacts on health effects and dependency, it’s also key to point out that getting behind the wheel while intoxicated by either substance poses significant risks to the user and others. In general, being intoxicated compromises sound judgment and may lead to unhealthy or risky decisions that a person might not make when sober. The truth is, both alcohol and weed may cause negative health effects, including addiction. If you find that smoking weed starts to affect your life in unhealthy ways and leads to unwanted consequences, those are signs you might be developing an addiction and should seek medical care. In short, used moderately (in the case of alcohol) or under the direction of a health care provider (in places where medical marijuana is legal), these substances may have positive health effects.
Heading Off Alcohol Use Disorder
AUD treatment failures are more likely when we do not treat comorbidities. Further research on neuromodulation (TMS), ketamine, psychedelics, and GLP-1 receptor agonists may increase patient and physician interest in AUD treatment. Genetic, psychological, social and environmental factors can impact how drinking alcohol affects your body and behavior.
Most health claims for cannabis aren’t backed by science
That study has drawn widespread media attention, appearing in outlets like the Washington Post, the Guardian, the New Republic, and here at Vox. As mentioned, alcohol can cause many different negative effects on your body, most notably the liver. Chronic alcohol use can lead to liver diseases such as fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, and cirrhosis, gastritis and pancreatitis. It can damage brain cells and lead to deficiencies in neurotransmitters. It affects gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) which can cause relaxation but long term use of alcohol can affect your levels of GABA or glutamate in the nervous system. Alcohol can lower inhibitions but it can also impair judgment, coordination, and memory.
Marijuana appears to be significantly less addictive than alcohol.
Should you decide that edibles are your choice, you may want to do some research on recommended dosages for whichever edible you choose. While both alcohol and marijuana may have some positive effects, both have the potential to be harmful. People using either https://sober-home.org/does-alcohol-thin-your-blood-effects-and-impact/ with the intention of getting high or drunk (intoxicated) are more likely to experience the more commonly recognized harmful effects of these drugs. Some of my patients believe that drinking wine is beneficial and reduces their risk of a heart attack.
- Overall, cannabis use can be healthier and less addictive than alcohol use.
- There is no known medical use for consumed alcohol, but there are health benefits observed in moderate drinkers, including lower rates of cardiovascular disease and possibly fewer colds, Murray said.
- The short-term effects of weed and alcohol differ from person to person.
- However, having worked in ERs since pot was legalized, I can tell you that people who smoke weed are showing up a lot more now than in the past, and those numbers are climbing.
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. Alcohol misuse is a leading preventable cause of death in the United States. AUD is undertreated and marked by guilt, shame, and stigma, too often ending in despair and suicide. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, 37% of alcohol abusers have at least one serious mental illness. Among people dying by suicide, AUD is the second-most-common mental disorder, involved in 1 in 4 suicide deaths. Rather than wait for people to “bottom out,” we need to intervene much sooner with regular alcohol screening and identification of pre-addiction.
Impact on your safety
The finding aligns with some previous research on alcohol’s connections with violence. Having a blood-alcohol level of at least 0.05%, on the other hand, https://sober-house.org/when-good-tv-goes-bad-why-house-s-self-medication/ increased that risk by 575%. For marijuana, some research initially suggested a link between smoking and lung cancer, but that has been debunked.
Getting a medical marijuana card can ensure that you have access to regulated medical marijuana simply and easily. That being said, alcohol still faces all of the same aforementioned tolls on your health and risks of addiction. Additionally, compounds in cannabis can help prevent some diseases, stunt oxidative damage, and can also help prevent major conditions.
She’s passionate about empowering readers to take care of their mental and physical health through science-based, empathetically delivered information. Cannabis addiction is surprisingly common, however, according to 2015 study. Weed seems to have fewer long-term risks than alcohol, but again, there’s a huge discrepancy in the amount of research on weed compared with alcohol. There probably isn’t a perfect way to evaluate and present all drug harms.
There are also medications effective in treating AUD, such as naltrexone and other drugs. In addition, newer or emerging treatments may include GLP-1s and psychedelics as well as neuromodulation (like TMS). Because denial is common, you may feel like you don’t have a problem with drinking.
It can cause mood swings and we’re all familiar with people who are “angry drunks.” The impact of alcohol can vary based on how much you’re using and how your body interacts with it. Some people may consider both substances similar because of how they make you feel. People attribute it to be a social lubricant that allows people to stave off social anxiety and be more outgoing and talkative. Weed can impact your memory and in some severe cases cause or exacerbate schizophrenia or psychosis.
Successful AA members usually become sponsors once they have been senior members in recovery for at least a year. A sponsor is a confidante with essential lived experiences and can be called how to stop drinking alcohol 24/7 for help. In some people, the initial reaction may feel like an increase in energy. But as you continue to drink, you become drowsy and have less control over your actions.
Alcohol on the other hand can heavily impact your cognitive function. It can lead to impaired judgment, decreased reaction times, and difficulty concentrating. It can also lower your inhibitions making you more likely to make riskier or rash decisions that can lead to an accident. Cannabis can affect your ability to pay attention, memory, and decision-making.