Premium Essay

Marijuana vs Alcohol

In:

Submitted By wildrose4life
Words 1547
Pages 7
The two most commonly used and abused drugs in the United States, are alcohol and marijuana. Is either drug good or bad for you, there are so many different studies that tell you the good and bad of use of alcohol and marijuana. According to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrations (SAMHSA) alcohol is the number one legal drug used in the United States, which marijuana being the most-illegal drug used. Even though alcohol is legal and marijuana illegal, does not mean that either is good for you.
Marijuana is a very controversial topic in the media right now, alongside with alcohol. The effects are very different; marijuana has immediate effect and can last for up to two hours after smoking. With alcohol, users feel slight effects after one drink. They can recover faster-depending how much they drank, how much they weigh, and if they ate before they drunk any alcohol. The immediate effects of alcohol use are slurred speech, poor judgment, and lack of motor skills. While the effects of marijuana are red eyes, dry mouth, increased appetite, paranoia, hallucinations, slowed reaction and memory loss. Drinking large amounts of alcohol can lead to coma, and even death, for a person to overdose on marijuana they would have to inhale about 40,000 times the amount of THC that took them to get high. To obtain the amount of THC to overdose a smoker would theoretically have to consume nearly 1,500 pounds of marijuana within about fifteen minutes to induce a lethal response. It is almost impossible to die from overdose of marijuana, but it all depends on the purity of the marijuana, other drugs in the marijuana, and your health conditions you have, just like with alcohol. Alcohol is responsible for little over 100,000 deaths per year, while marijuana kills fewer than 10,000 a year.
Among the deaths caused by alcohol, a study from CDC, (Center for Disease

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Legilize Weed

...impose a problem? Marijuana is not as bad, as thought to be. In fact there are many positive things that come from marijuana use, and many negative things that come from it being illegal. Although marijuana is made up of a drug, THC, it should be legalized. Laws on marijuana put a burden on the United States. First, there are many more crimes being committed other than crimes evolving marijuana each year. According to Paul Rushman, more people are arrested for marijuana crimes than all violent crimes each year, imposing a major burden on U.S. law enforcement (2004). Legalizing marijuana would result in the ability of law enforcement to focus on more serious crimes than those of marijuana crimes. Secondly, the U.S. government must send a considerable amount of money to enforce marijuana laws. Since 1997 the government spends $7.5-$10 billion yearly as well as 2.4 million would allow law enforcement’s time to be better spent over all. Third, marijuana legalization would save billions of dollars each year, that could be better spent (Taylor, 2005). With the legalization of marijuana the $7.5 -$10 billion could be put toward education; public health, and other government projects. Legalizing marijuana would lessen the burden of both time and money marijuana has imposed on the U.S. The drug in marijuana, THC, has medicinal purposes. For instance, Victims of cancer and HIV have benefited from the use of marijuana. In cases such as AIDS and cancer the use of marijuana has increased...

Words: 925 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Marijuana Uses

...Legalization of Marijuana vs. Alcohol Omar S. Yarbrough GEN /195 May 23, 2012 Ruth Embelton Cannabis, Weed, Pot, and Mary Jane are just a few names associated with marijuana. Some might say that marijuana is a natural earth plant, so it must be healthy. Unfortunately there are several negative impacts about marijuana such as when inhaling marijuana, it affects ones brain dramatically with every use, lowered learning capabilities, shorter attention span, and weakening verbal and communication skills. (Above the Influence/Marijuana, p. 2006) There are also severe side effects as well such as failure of the lungs which could lead to death. There are 16 states that allow marijuana or medical marijuana to be home grown with several stipulations an example is the allowable limit for a resident to have in their possession at one given time. There are 12 states that have impending legislation to legalize medical marijuana. “The House Bill 0025 states that marijuana, use for medical purposes authorized certified by physician, regulated as controlled substances, Michael Phillips Compass, Uncle Care Act” So to many the true question is if legalized will marijuana be used for its intended purpose or be abused as so many do with alcohol. Tipple, Hooch, Booze, Toddy, Moonshine are just a few names associated with alcohol. Alcohol can be one of the most abused substances in the world. Alcohol is a substance that goes straight to the blood stream. Some alcoholic beverages can...

Words: 449 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Medical Marijuana Argument Analysis

...their pot use, 40% of all Americans say they have tried marijuana at least once. There are many different ideas about this topic, since it is such a hot button topic for most people. Some people say that marijuana should be illegal for everyone, some same just for medical use, but in a Gallup poll done in 2014, 53% of all Americans think that the use of marijuana should be legal. It is true that marijuana can be harmful if used on a frequent basis, but I think that marijuana should be legalized in the United States and that’s because, the use of medical marijuana is important for the comfort of many, the results of law enforcement, the fight against the "drug war", and the effects of alcohol and cigarettes versus marijuana. Medical marijuana is very important to a lot of people for different reasons. According to a Discovery Health article, marijuana has been extremely successful in relieving nausea.When cancer patients are going through chemo, it is very hard for them to eat or keep food down. With medical marijuana the THC enables them to not feel as nauseous and eat more than they could without...

Words: 681 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Legalization of Marijuana

...com/od/legalandethicalissues/i/Is-It-A-Good-Idea-For-Marijuana-To-Be-Legalized_2.htm   http://casac.org/legislation/shouldmarijuanabel/   http://hightimes.com/legal/ht_admin/1842     http://www.mjlegal.org/alctob.html   http://www.saferchoice.org/content/view/24/53/     http://guyism.com/lifestyle/10-major-health-benefits-of-medical-marijuana.html   http://norml.org/legal/item/war-against-marijuana-consumers   http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Legalize-tax-marijuana-to-fill-budget-gap-1121668.php   Why marijuana should be legalized?   I.                   Expensive keeping marijuana illegal II.                Drug dealers and violence reduces III.             Marijuana vs. alcohol and tobacco IV.             Marijuana has medical benefits   References Brown, M. (2003). Legalize, Tax Marijuana to Fill Budget Gap. Retrieved from http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Legalize-tax-marijuana-to-fill-budget-gap-1121668.php. Hartney, E. (2011). Is It a Good Idea For Marijuana To Be Legalized? Retrieved from http://addictions.about.com/od/legalandethicalissues/i/Is-It-A-Good-Idea-For-Marijuana-To-Be-Legalized_2.htm. Marijuana Legalization Organization. (1999-2008). Marijuana vs. Alcohol and Tobacco. Retrieved from http://www.mjlegal.org/alctob.html. Marijuana Legalization Organization. (1999-2007). Why Should Marijuana Be Legal? Retrieved from http://www.mjlegal.org/. Marijuana Legalization Organization. (1999-2002). Why Should Marijuana Be Legal? Retrieved from http://www...

Words: 281 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Team Debate on Legalizing Marijuana

...beliefs as to whether alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana are even close to comparison with each other. Moderate use of marijuana is now worse than alcohol or tobacco. Leslie Iversen, PhD, states, “Cannabis is a safer drug than aspirin and can be used long-term without serious side effects (Iversen, PhD, 2012). Drinking and driving kill people everyday but there is not much heard about driving high. Impairment from smoking marijuana is different than alcohol impairment. This is not saying that people should drive high, because the effects of impairment are still very detrimental. Yes it will be harder to detect someone driving high versus alcohol breath tests. The law would be able to organize special tests though for judging people’s impairment. If marijuana were to be legalized publicly then crime rates may actually decrease instead of increase because people will not be so easy to commit theft for getting the drug. Judgment is not the same when a person is high but the judgment and reaction to someone drunk can be even worse with some people. Studies and groups like to discuss how marijuana is a gateway drug. The problem with this theory is with how the tests are conducted. Just because someone uses marijuana today does not mean they will be using cocaine tomorrow. Smoking a cigarette, drinking a beer, and smoking marijuana are fairly similar when one would start speaking of health risks. The difference in them being though that marijuana has not been legalized...

Words: 323 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Marijuana Vsalcohol

...Marijuana vs. Alcohol “In fact, someone fifth to one third of Americans assumes that pot is more dangerous than booze. Another one third of Americans consider marijuana to be just as dangerous as alcohol.” It is my contention that these misconceptions about marijuana alleged dangers are the primary obstacle to changing the laws when it comes to marijuana in our country. Therefore, my goal is to show to you, the reader, that marijuana is not only less harmful than alcohol but that the difference is really quite significant. With science and society forever changing, the subject of marijuana is changing as well. Over the tears science has proven that marijuana is safer that alcohol. There have been myths that marijuana damages brain cells, when in actuality studies have proven that marijuana has neuroprotective properties. One major study done by researchers at the University of California San Diego has proven this fact. Subjects aged sixteen to nineteen years old were used for this study. The study showed the people that binge drink showed more evidence of white brain matter damages in eight regions of the brain that were examined. While on the other hand, the people that smoked marijuana actually had little or no damage to their brain than those who drank. There have been many people who have succumb to the over usage of alcohol and tragically lost their life to an overdose. For a person to overdose on alcohol they need to have a blood alcohol...

Words: 1226 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Marijuana Addiction

...Becoming Addicted to Marijuana “Marijuana is the most commonly used drug illegal drug in the world.” (“What is Marijuana”, 2013). It has recently become legal in a couple states, and more states are sure to follow their lead in the upcoming months. People can make the argument that marijuana does not have any negative effects, but they are wrong. Becoming addicted to marijuana is easy, and it only opens up the door for you to try other harmful drugs once marijuana quits getting you high. You need to know the whole story, how people become addicted, the negative effects it has on your body and mind, and what you can do once someone you know has become addicted. Many people experiment with drugs at a young age, usually marijuana is the first drug that many people start off experimenting with. Why do people decide to experiment with drugs? “People experiment with drugs for many different reasons. Many first try drugs out of curiosity, to have a good time, because friends are doing it, or in an effort to improve athletic performance or ease another problem, such as stress, anxiety, or depression”. (Robinson, Smith...

Words: 1162 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Up in Smoke

...Thesis: Legalizing marijuana simply digs a deeper hole in the fight against harmful intoxicants. Summary: The legalization of marijuana would have no benefits. To the contrary, doing so would simply add to the list of readily accessible and potentially addictive substances that can lead to irresponsible behavior and poor health. Given the widespread problems associated with addictive substances such as alcohol and tobacco, why should laws be altered to add another substance to this list? The fact that so many people break laws prohibiting marijuana use does not mean that these laws should be repealed. Introduction One function of government is to protect citizens from harm, whether it is from foreign enemies or from internal causes such as poisonous food or contaminated water. Similarly, the ban on marijuana protects citizens from the dangers of drug consumption, as well as potentially destructive behaviors associated with marijuana use. With the possible exception of limited benefits in treating some diseases under a physician's direction, there are no advantages to the use of intoxicants such as marijuana or more potent drugs, including cocaine and heroin. This is not to say that individuals do not experience some momentary pleasure in consuming drugs-often at tremendous social costs. However, drug use can also wreak havoc on an individual's ability to experience all of the facets of life-from facing and overcoming challenges to enjoying times of great joy to relishing...

Words: 1239 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Administrative Law

...Nick Montesano Buss 200 Administrative Law Essay The College Of New Jersey Dr. Laura Sanders 9/29/30 A National Dispute In the past decade there has been an increased controversial view of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana. People have been divided on how to regulate these products in the market, causing much governmental controversy. There have been many groundbreaking and unprecedented court cases that have been shaping the public policy on which these substances stand on. These substances have an immediate and perilous effect on the health of all human beings. Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, alcohol causes impaired judgment and in turn causes people to do things that affect their health physically and emotionally, and marijuana has almost the same effect as alcohol. (New England Law) Health is the ultimate concern when studying these three substances, which would lead to the Family Smoking Prevention Act to survive the Hudson Test. The Granholm case would lead one to believe that states cannot discriminate against outsiders from sales, and the medical exceptions for marijuana are valid on the fact that it has a medical advantage to some citizens. I strongly believe that the federal government has a right to regulate certain aspects of these substances based upon the danger posed to the health of citizens. This paper will discuss certain court cases that shape my opinion for every substance...

Words: 3410 - Pages: 14

Free Essay

Alcohol vs Marrjuana

...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. ...

Words: 1082 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Persuasive Essay On Legalization Of Marijuana

...of marijuana is a big topic everywhere in the United States, many people believe it should be legalized in all fifty states. Marijuana has many health benefits such as using it to treat medical conditions, using it for tax revenue, and reduce the amount of crime. Everyone in the United States has a different opinion on whether it should be legalized or not. Some people may agree to the legalization for medical reasons or to help the economy. Others may oppose the legalization because of the risk of addiction or the thought of secondhand smoke. Many people may agree that marijuana could change the medical world for the better. Marijuana can be used to treat many different health concerns such as slowing down cancer, and epileptic...

Words: 962 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Teenagers Lifestyle Issues

...25 and 24.3 percent of adults aged 26 or older. Ages of Teens Vs Types of Drugs Used: Among youths aged 12 to 17, the types of drugs used in the past month varied by age group. Among 12 or 13 year olds, 1.5 percent used prescription-type drugs (xanax, Percocet, oxycontin, etc) nonmedically, 1.2 percent used inhalants (huffing aerosols), and 1.0 percent used marijuana. Among 14 or 15 year olds, marijuana was the most commonly used drug (5.7 percent), followed by prescription-type drugs used nonmedically (3.0 percent), inhalants (1.3 percent), and hallucinogens (1.0 percent). Marijuana also was the most commonly used drug among 16 or 17 year olds (12.7 percent); it was followed by prescription-type drugs used nonmedically (4.0 percent), hallucinogens (1.6 percent), cocaine (0.7 percent), and inhalants (0.7 percent). Persons 12 and older, classified with substance dependence, addiction, or abuse in 2008: In 2008, an estimated 22.2 million persons aged 12 or older were classified with substance dependence or abuse in the past year (8.9 percent of the population aged 12 or older). Of these, 3.1 million were classified with dependence on or abuse of both alcohol and illicit drugs, 3.9 million were dependent on or abused illicit drugs but not alcohol, and 15.2 million were dependent on or abused alcohol but not illicit drugs. Drug with the Highest Rate of Dependence or Abuse in 2008: Marijuana was the illicit drug with the highest rate of past year dependence...

Words: 750 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Federal Legalization of Medicinal Marijuanna

...| Legalization of Marijuana | | | Imagine waking up every morning to morning sickness. You’re not pregnant but your stomach feels like it’s on fire and the only relief you can muster is to crawl to the bathroom and vomit up a mouthful of stomach acids. This is the life of an individual with acid reflux. Now you might say that this individual should go to the doctor and get some medication but the fact of the matter is, I have already seen several doctors and the medication they prescribed me not only didn’t help my symptoms but had added side effects such as diarrhea. Now the solution may not be visible to most but why not smoke some marijuana. Sounds like a good idea, I’d get “the munchies” as they’re called and be able to actually eat something to settle my stomach. Unfortunately marijuana is illegal in the state I live in. “Why is that so?” you might ask. After a bit of research I have not been able to come up with an answer to that question. There are many prescription drugs that can be substituted with marijuana, if taxed properly; it could generate a very substantial amount of revenue for both state and government. It has also been proven to be a medically and socially safer alternative to alcohol. First let’s take a look at the medicinal properties of marijuana. In March 1999, it was found that the cannabinoids in marijuana are potentially effective in treating pain, nausea and vomiting (Unknown. (2013, August 8). Should Marijuana be a Medical Option)...

Words: 1630 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Unit 1 Assignment

...Problem #1: Using either a graph or table (Refer to page 22 for help with graphs and tables) use two goods to construct a production possibilities curve. Clearly explain what a variety of different points on the curve mean. What would make the curve expand or contract? Why is efficiency lost at the extremes, as when substantially more of one good and very little of another is produced? Cars (1000's/year) Milk (1000's of gallons/ year) 0 60 1 50 2 30 3 0 The PPF illustrates a negative slope which indicates larger quantities of cars correspond to a smaller amount of milk, and vice versa. This happens because all the economy's resources are already in use, and therefore obtaining more cars would always require sacrificing some milk. In economic terms, the negative slope is due to the presence of opportunity cost. Problem # 2 Part A: Go to the internet auction site eBay at www.ebay.com and select the category Jewelry and Watches, followed by Loose Diamonds and Gemstones, and then Diamonds, Natural. How many natural diamonds are for sale at the moment? Note the wide array of sizes and prices of the diamonds. In what sense is there competition among the sellers in this market? How does that competition influence prices? In what sense is there competition among buyers? How does that competition influence prices? As of June 18, 2013 there are 204,692 diamonds for sale. The competition in the market on eBay would be based on the age of the diamond and it authenticity. 199...

Words: 966 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Medical Marihuana

...Charles Donner Week 9 Final Expository Essay Sheryl Braswell 05/09/2013 Medical Marijuana Throughout the world there have been many different studies on how to cure illness that have led to a medication called Medical Marijuana. Medications are not very effective as they can have many side effects, a very possible addiction problem, and/or death. Prescriptions are all meant to help cure one thing, but they may have many or few consequences, such as liver failure from taking too many of one prescribed medications. The same consequence and many others can be associated with alcohol as well as prescribed medications. However, now there is a new drug that has been known from studies to have a 0% death rate that is introduced in 20 states. This new drug is called Medical Marijuana. New York State’s passage of the bill is to allow New York State Residents the right to use/possess Medical Marijuana and will allow a new medicine with less consequences into the state and bring growth and profit as well. There are many states trying to get themselves out of debt and legalizing marijuana seems to be an efficient way of doing that. Bill # S02774A and Bill # A03802 are two of the bills going to the New York State Senate and the State Legislature to be passed to allow Medical Marijuana in the state of New York. With the Senate and State Assembly passing with votes of 42 in the Senate winning that vote, and 48 in the State Assembly winning the final vote to carry the bill further through...

Words: 1176 - Pages: 5