For years, the debate of which vice caused a bigger detriment to one’s health between marijuana and alcohol remained a heated and often entertaining topic of discussion of drunken and sober discussions alike across the United States. Now, with new marijuana regulations in certain states, more research is being done to understand the short-term and long-term effects of the drug.
Now, too much alcohol can impair your motor skills and even kill you if you drink in excess. In fact, binge-drinking can kill you in less than ten minutes. More than likely that won’t happen with marijuana. According to Yahoo:
Drinking too much alcohol can quickly kill a person. The inability to metabolize alcohol as quickly as it is consumed can lead to a buildup of alcohol in the brain that shuts down areas necessary for survival, such as those involved with heartbeat and respiration. Marijuana affects the cardiovascular system, increasing heart rate and blood pressure, but a person can’t fatally overdose on pot like they can with alcohol.
Alcohol is more likely to counteract with other medications than marijuana. Which is why some medications warn you to stay clear of alcohol while taking. The amount of toxins in the alcohol in combination with the ingredients in the medication makes it difficult for your body to break down and naturally cleanse the toxins from your body.
Even our president has admitted partaking in the recreational use of marijuana in the past. Now, all this isn’t to say that marijuana is in the clear as far as your health goes. There just has not been enough extensive research to prove the long-term health effects. So to all you marijuana smokers out there, I hope you realize you are serving as guinea pigs to the non-smokers…
Public health researchers have said studying rates of injuries, accidents, mental illness and teen use in the wake of the new laws will lead to a better understanding of marijuana’s public health effects.
