How does marijuana affect our bodies?

CDC). Alcohol and cannabis are two of the most commonly used psychoactive substances in the United States.

However, the effects of cannabis on memory may be more severe in daily users who start smoking at a young age. The question of whether alcohol or weed is worse ultimately depends on individual health profiles, usage patterns, and personal risk factors. Current evidence suggests alcohol poses greater risks for physical health damage, addiction, and social harm at population levels.

Safety and Consumption Methods

Some people are already at higher risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease because of their genetics or other risky behaviors like tobacco use. However, the way people consume them and their reactions to each substance vary from person to person. While some people may have a very low tolerance for weed, they may be able to tolerate alcohol well. Others may not have any issues with misusing alcohol but may struggle to function without weed. Alcohol impairs the brain’s communication pathways and can affect the way the brain looks and works.

CDC). Firstly, it is important to note that cannabis use can lead to cannabis use disorder, a condition characterised by dependence on and addiction to cannabis. According to research, about 30% of cannabis users may develop some degree of cannabis use disorder.

Canadian Substance Use Costs and Harms

• D’Onofrio added that the risks for injury also increase with age with either substance.
• Before getting into the specifics of alcohol and cannabis, it’s important to understand some of the factors that make the comparison tricky.
• However, a few too many can have devastating consequences, such as falls, accidents and impaired judgement, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• Additionally, alcohol misuse can result in blackouts, where gaps in memory occur due to the blocking of memory consolidation in the hippocampus.
• Varieties of cannabis that contain low levels of THC (less than 0.3%) are classified as hemp, while those with more than 0.3% THC are considered cannabis.

Alcohol misuse is also a leading cause of pancreatitis, a disease of the pancreas. Cannabis dependency tends to be psychological rather than severely physical. While withdrawal symptoms exist (irritability, sleep disturbances, decreased appetite), they’re generally milder than alcohol withdrawal. Approximately 9% of cannabis users develop dependency, compared to about 15% for alcohol. When comparing the effects and addictiveness of alcohol and cannabis, the immediate risk profile for alcohol appears more severe, particularly regarding overdose potential. While ALDH2 is the most common inherited variation to affect how well someone can handle alcohol — and its’ long-term risks — it is not the only factor.

Short-term Physical Effects

This last one is thought to be because people were substituting weed for alcohol, but of course, it’s still not a good idea to drive after smoking weed. Matthay also has concerns about consuming alcohol and cannabis together. “Proponents of cannabis legalization emphasized that greater access to legal cannabis products could lead to substitution of alcohol for cannabis and thus reductions in alcohol use and alcohol-related harms,” she explains. “However, emerging evidence seems to suggest that instead of substitution, people seem to use both alcohol and cannabis more often, both in sequence and at the same time, which appears to confer extra risks.”

congrès Questions de substance du CCDUS

Anyone choosing to use cannabis must be mindful of their state’s current laws and the continuing federal prohibition, whereas alcohol laws are more straightforward (mainly, age and behavior restrictions). If enacted, it would be a significant federal policy change, potentially allowing prescription THC medications and reducing the conflict with state laws (though full legalization federally would likely require an Act of Congress). Meanwhile, bills like the MORE Act (to federally decriminalize and tax cannabis) have been introduced but not yet passed.

It makes it harder for the brain areas controlling balance, memory, speech, and judgment to do their jobs, resulting in a higher likelihood of injuries and other negative outcomes. For example, drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or more are 11 times more likely to be killed in a single-vehicle crash than sober drivers. Cannabis has been found to potentially increase your chances of developing anxiety, paranoia, and psychotic symptoms.There is ongoing research on the relationship between marijuana use and mental health disorders. It’s important to note that the severity and likelihood of these long-term effects can vary based on individual factors, including the frequency and quantity of use, overall health, and genetic predispositions.

Additionally, any deficits weed vs booze: is either one less harmful to your health or issues caused by heavy cannabis use can be reversible. Speaking of, let’s examine the addictive tendencies of these substances. Weed can impact your memory and in some severe cases cause or exacerbate schizophrenia or psychosis.

• Bainbridge said people can react to either alcohol or cannabis differently, even in limited amounts.
• CUD can negatively affect mental, physical, and social health, leading to conditions such as psychosis, anxiety disorder, sleep disorder, and hyperemesis syndrome.
• Although alcohol was once believed to protect against heart disease, 2022 research in JAMA Network Open reveals that alcohol may not be so great for your heart after all, and has lots of other downsides.
• However, both substances carry their own risks, and there’s no research to prove one categorically safer than the other.
• As the legalization of cannabis expands, more people are turning to weed as a substitute for alcohol, with daily cannabis use surpassing daily alcohol consumption for the first time.

In essence, chronic alcohol use poses serious, well-documented risks to physical health, mental health, and longevity, while chronic cannabis use poses moderate risks, particularly to mental health, lungs, and overall functioning. However, in cases of severe alcohol-related brain damage (e.g. Korsakoff’s syndrome), the impairments can be permanent. Importantly for our age range (25–55), prolonged heavy drinking during midlife can accelerate cognitive aging, meaning earlier onset of memory problems or dementia-like symptoms than would occur otherwise. Cannabis addiction (while real) tends to be subtler, sometimes manifesting more as a persistent habit or psychological reliance. Many individuals with cannabis use disorder maintain daily functioning (jobs, etc.), whereas severe alcohol addiction often leads to pronounced life dysfunction. Signs of cannabis addiction include inability to cut down, using more than intended, and continued use despite negative consequences (e.g. failing at work or straining relationships).

Cannabis on the other hand can make you feel relaxed as well decrease your depression or anxiety. Alcohol is highly addictive and some people can have a genetic predisposition to alcoholism. Chronic use of alcohol can cause a physical dependency that will require outside intervention to treat this and help you become sober. Cannabis is more likely to lead to a use disorder where you are habitually or are psychologically addicted to cannabis and want to use it.

It is important to note that there is a lack of large-scale, long-term studies on the health effects of cannabis, especially in comparison to alcohol. This is partly due to federal restrictions on cannabis research and the relatively recent legalisation of cannabis in certain places. Long-term heavy drinking causes alterations in the neurons, such as reductions in their size. Short-term effects include altered sensory perception, relaxation, and potential anxiety or paranoia at higher doses. Unlike alcohol, cannabis has no documented cases of fatal overdose from the substance alone.

Alcohol Vs Weed: Which Is Worse For Your Health?

Prolonged alcohol use can lead to physical dependence, where the body becomes reliant on alcohol to function normally.This can cause the shakes and can affect your ability to lead a normal life. Excessive alcohol use can cause brain damage and degenerative conditions like Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, which can cause severe memory impairment and other cognitive deficits. It can damage brain cells and lead to deficiencies in neurotransmitters.