Marijuana management, sometimes called marijuana maintenance, can even have some health benefits that you might not expect. These things can help anyone, but especially a heavy drinker who is trying to quit. According to a 2022 report sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, adults ages 35 to 50 are turning to alcohol and marijuana at record levels. Recently, North American edible sales have soared, climbing to more than $3.5 billion in 2022, per the market research firm Global Market Insights. While there’s no arguing that both substances are popular and both come with some risks, it’s less clear whether alcohol or edibles consumption is worse for your health. Unlike alcohol, cannabis is not commonly linked to violent behavior or aggression; in fact, acute use tends to reduce aggression.
People with underlying mental health conditions should use caution with either substance. Medical cannabis is available in more delivery methods than ever before, such as gummy bears, dried flowers, pills, lotions, drops and a variety of edibles, but what exactly does it do? With so much misinformation and junk-science on the internet, it is important to get solid facts from doctors and scientists you can trust before deciding if medical marijuana could help you. Now leading experts at Harvard Medical School are here to help you separate fact from frightening fiction about medical cannabis so you can make informed decisions. And, while there is a lot of positive talk about cannabis, there are risks—especially if you’re over 55. While the effects of both substances are highly variable and depend on numerous factors, there are some clear differences between the impacts of weed and alcohol on sleep.
Legal Considerations and Public Health Approaches
While both substances carry a potential for misuse and addiction, it appears to be more common with alcohol. However, there is limited research and evidence to make a direct comparison between the two. The effects of each substance differ for each individual, and factors such as consumption method, frequency, and volume play a significant role in the impact on health.
- Alcohol can help temporarily numb pain and often give people an increased appetite, which is beneficial to some people.
- However, this is low compared to 40% of all car crashes that directly involve alcohol.
- When it comes to their addiction profile and their risk of death or overdose combined with their ties to cancer, car crashes, violence, and obesity, the research suggests that marijuana may be less of a health risk than alcohol.
- If you use either cannabis or alcohol and feel like you may be developing a substance use disorder, reach out to your primary medical provider or another trusted source for support.
Driving On Weed Vs Alcohol
“For example, cannabis can make you peaceful, increase your connection with other people and give you personal insights, while alcohol can make people loud and bellicose.” The CDC recommends limiting alcohol to one drink a day for women and two for men. Since edibles aren’t federally regulated, they’re more like the Wild West. Once it gets there, it messes with your brain’s communication system, affecting your judgment, mood and coordination, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
Short- and long-term effects
She warned that both alcohol and cannabis are psychoactive substances that can impair reaction time and cognitive processing, raising the risk of accidents and injuries. The short-term effects of cannabis and alcohol differ from person to person. But scientists have had a hard time deciphering whether excessive alcohol use causes depression and anxiety or whether people with depression and anxiety drink in an attempt to relieve those symptoms. In terms of their long-term effects, the most severe impacts are seen in heavy, chronic, or binge users who begin using in their teens. This is a debatable question, however long-term effects of drinking heavily are well known.
congrès Questions de substance du CCDUS
And the illegality of marijuana has also limited research in this field. But cigarette smoking plays a complicated role in studying the impact of marijuana smoke, Baler said. Marijuana smokers tend to smoke much less than cigarette smokers, as some may smoke one joint a few times a week. In an accompanying editorial, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, urged health professionals to assess cannabis use in all patients, just like tobacco and alcohol use, and educate them about cannabis risks. Several studies relied on weed vs booze: is either one less harmful to your health self-reported cannabis use rather than actual measurements, and some people could have been light or occasional users.
- Cannabis may also have mental health side effects, particularly for those with a family history of mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, or panic disorders.
- The question of whether alcohol or weed is more damaging extends beyond individual health to societal costs.
- The debate over whether alcohol or weed is worse for health continues to evolve as cannabis legalization spreads and research expands.
- Reducing or stopping cannabis use can help improve mental health and brain function, and seeking support from loved ones or healthcare professionals can be beneficial for those struggling with cannabis use and mental health issues.
- As a team of pain medicine physicians, anesthesiologists, and surgeons, we knew that there had to be a better way to help patients.
Alcohol vs. Cannabis: A Comprehensive Health Impact Comparison
For decades, studies suggested that moderate alcohol intake could protect the heart, reduce diabetes risk or even help you live longer. But newer research tells a different story, and it’s left many people confused. Stanford experts discuss the health implications of moderate alcohol consumption and how the guidelines have changed. Some sources suggest that drinking a little bit of alcohol can be beneficial due to the social aspect of drinking and because those who drink moderately can afford alcohol. Weed may provide relief for people living with chronic pain, multiple sclerosis-related spasticity, or nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy. Some people are choosing to replace alcohol with weed, and experts commend the trend of questioning one’s relationship with alcohol.
It’s also important to note that many cannabis users do not experience any addiction; the strongest predictor of cannabis use disorder is daily or near-daily use. Many cannabis-infused drinks list THC as an ingredient, and while there is no standard dose, 5 milligrams (mg) is typically used in research studies of the drug. Some “low-dose” beverages contain 2 to 4 mg of THC in an 8-ounce container. Alcohol, on the other hand, is known to disrupt sleep architecture, or the normal structure and sequence of sleep stages. While it may shorten the time it takes to fall asleep initially, alcohol can reduce REM sleep and cause sleep to be disrupted and less restful overall. It can also cause or worsen breathing disorders such as sleep apnea, further disrupting sleep quality.
How Many Deaths Are Caused By Driving High?
That said, it is not as addictive in the medical sense as alcohol has proven to be, so in that way, it could still be a safer alternative. Besides these physical, medical benefits, there are other more social reasons people like to keep drinking alcohol. It’s one of the more common beverages to have while celebrating, for example, and it can be a great way to wind down at the end of the day. Alcohol can help temporarily numb pain and often give people an increased appetite, which is beneficial to some people. Of course, it’s hard to wrap your mind around marijuana being used for health benefits when we’ve all been hearing about its harm to society for decades. However, many of these stereotypes and laws are based on demonizing messages rather than facts.
In January, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory on the link between alcohol and at least seven types of cancer, including breast and colorectal. However, both substances carry their own risks, and there’s no research to prove one categorically safer than the other. When it comes to their addiction profile and their risk of death or overdose combined with their ties to cancer, car crashes, violence, and obesity, the research suggests that marijuana may be less of a health risk than alcohol. But despite eating over 600 extra calories when smoking, marijuana users don’t – on the whole – have higher BMIs. In fact, studies suggest that regular smokers are actually at a slightly reduced risk of obesity.
The researchers also acknowledged that the findings do not prove that cannabis use causes heart problems. Public attitudes toward cannabis have shifted dramatically over the past decade, with some perceiving cannabis to be safer than alcohol. The data suggests that 30% of those who use cannabis may have some degree of cannabis use disorder. All things considered, alcohol’s effects seem markedly more extreme – and risky – than marijuana’s. Chronic drinkers display reductions in memory, attention, and planning as well as impaired emotional processes and social cognition – and these can persist even after years of abstinence.