Alcohol vs. Marijuana After researching both marijuana and alcohol, which are two commonly used drugs in my community that have the same effect, but yet differ significantly. While alcohol is the number one substance used and misused by people, marijuana is the number one illegal drug being [Doctoral rule (but good advice for any academic writer)--If not a noun (as in "human being"), the word "Being" is hard to imagine; it means "existing." Try to rewrite this without using "being"--with action words like "attending," "working," "living," "experiencing," simply "as"--or even removing "being" completely] used and sold in colleges, high schools, and communities’ particularly urban communities. With that being said, one might ask, “Which one is more harmful to their well being?”This will be up to you to decide. Marijuana is addictive and has an immediate affect during and after smoking. When consuming the drug it usually last up to two hours, but eventually wear off. Heavy usage [Check spelling: "Usage" refers primarily to legal procedures or grammar; most writing situations call for "use"] of marijuana can have effect the brain causing people to hallucinate or lose the sense of personal identity. The physical affect using the drug can cause abnormal heart rate and red eyes. Although researchers haven’t found a long term effect on the brain caused by the drug, it was said that using this drug can cause a gateway to another drug. Alcohol on the other hand can also be [This is smoother as "also can be"] addictive. The effects of alcohol can take place after one drink. With the fact in play of one’s weight, height, age, and food consumed before drinking and how well their digestive system work. Alcohol has proven to have great [Writing suggestion: "great" is an overworked word, too frequently seen, and too vague. It has too many meanings: huge, superior, numerous, etc. Use a more specific adjective] effects long term on one’s body such as liver disease, impaired memory, and slower reaction. Researchers find that alcohol use leads to aggressive behavior, violence, and sexual assaults. Drinking heavy amounts of alcohol can harm the central nervous system causing unconsciousness, coma, and even death. For example, one of my closet friends had heart complications after consuming excessive amounts of alcohol. Even though the doctors told him he would have to stop drinking he refused. On the other hand, the use of marijuana isn’t associated with risks of death, but it is also shown that in order to overdose, a person would have to smoke over a thousand times the amount to get high, so it is impossible for someone to smoke that much. There haven’t been any published cases so far about actual [Cliché: "actual" and "actually" are weak words whose meaning is nothing more than "in point of fact." They are often used as intensifiers but usually can be deleted with no change in meaning ] deaths caused by marijuana, so true lethal dose is a mystery. Among the deaths caused by alcohol, drinking and driving is the number one in the United States. When you drink and drive alcohol impairs your judgment and vision, causing speeding and reckless behaviors you wouldn’t do if you weren’t using the substance. In comparison to alcohol, marijuana users develop a tolerance to the substance, requiring more to be consumed; this is where a term poly drug use comes into play. Poly drug use is when two substances are used together at the same time. The reason why [Writing suggestion--remove "why" or "for why"] people use substances together is because their intoxication decreases so they try to increase the effect of when they first used the substance. For example, if a person smoked every day several times they will become immune to the substance and start trying other drugs that will get them to the level of intoxication they’re looking for. According, to scientific studies, the active ingredient in marijuana, THC, remains in the body for weeks or longer. Marijuana smoke contains 50% to 70% more cancer-causing substances than tobacco smoke. One major research study reported that a single cannabis joint could cause as much damage to the lungs as up to five regular cigarettes smoked one after another. Long-time joint smokers often suffer from bronchitis, an inflammation of the respiratory tract. Marijuana also changes the structure of sperm cells, deforming them. Thus even small amounts of marijuana can cause temporary sterility in men and upset a woman’s menstrual cycle. Studies proven that the mental functions of people who have smoked a lot of [Only commercial shipments and real estate are measured in lots. To use "a lot of" to mean "many," "much," or "a large amount" is a colloquialism (not universally clear). Use another term.] marijuana tend to be diminisherd.For example, a pregnant woman who regularly smokes marijuana may give birth prematurely causing the baby to be undersized and underweight. Many children of marijuana users have been born with disabilities to concentrate and pursue life goals. Studies suggest that birth control use may result in birth defects, mental abnormalities and increased risk of leukemia in children. While both substances are used recreationally among all ages, alcohol is bad for your mental, physical, and emotional well being causing you to react to situations differently than you would if you were sober. For example, if I became a drinker I would increase my risk of getting breast cancer. Alcohol raises the estrogen levels, and estrogen can cause breast cancer, colon cancer, hypertension, stroke, and osteoporosis. Alcohol can definitely make you feel cool for the moment and be a fun experience for users, but it has causes just as much damage to your well being as marijuana. If a person doesn’t drink any alcoholic beverages or smoke marijuana their better off. When you don’t make the right choices concerning your health you won’t have a healthy outcome. The best choice against these substances is to avoid them using both substances . By identifying which one raises your chance of being ill, you’re taking action to change and reduce your chances of developing cancer and other diseases. You have to drink on occasions; they say a glass of red wine is the only thing you can consume daily. In conclude if it’s easily to “SAY NO” to marijuana you can say the same to alcohol which causes the same bodily harm that marijuana does which is an innocent plant until toxins’ are added to them.