CruncheWorld

Which is Worse: Alcohol or Marijuana?

Putting aside the matter of alcohol’s legality and marijuana’s illegality, there are some fundamental differences between these 2 substances. There is an extensive body of medical research which demonstrates that very moderate use of alcohol by adults who are able to drink (no history of alcoholism, non-pregnant women, and no other medical conditions which preclude drinking) is actually good for their health. Men who drink 3-6 standard drinks (12 oz. beer or 5 oz. wine or 1.5 oz. whiskey) per week (in 2 or more sittings) and women who drink 2-4 standard drinks per week (in 2 or more sittings) simply suffer from less heart disease than people who do not drink at all. Although medical use of marijuana may help certain individuals with either glaucoma or with nausea due to chemotherapy, there are no credible studies which demonstrate that cannabis has general positive health effects for moderate pot smokers.

A second fundamental difference is in the route of administration. Although, marijuana is occasionally ingested, it is mostly smoked. Our respiratory systems were simply not built to handle smoke. Like cigarette smoke, marijuana smoke contains carbon monoxide, carcinogens, tars and other toxins. Some research even indicates that marijuana smokers who hold the smoke in their lungs for a long time before exhaling (as many do) are particularly likely to suffer lung damage. On the other hand, moderate use of alcohol by people who are able to drink is not intrinsically damaging to the digestive system.

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010, by admin and is filed under "Crunche World ". You can leave a response here, or send a Trackback from your own site.