Thursday, September 18, 2014

Alcohol vs. Weed


Jack Monaghan
Alcohol vs. Weed


The drinking age in America is 21 years of age, in China it is 18, in Austria it is 16, and in Germany it is 14. The number of countries that have fully legalized marijuana (weed, pot, cannabis) is one, Uruguay if you're curious. There, it is still only legal in small quantities. The number of states in America that have legalized marijuana use is two, Washington and Colorado. So why has this distinction been made? Why is alcohol considered to be far worse than marijuana? I have no idea. Both of these drugs are harmful but alcohol is on a level that weed could never be on. Alcohol is also far more addictive than marijuana so much that is you are addicted to alcohol it is considered a disease (alcoholism). Alcohol's short term, long term, and withdrawal symptoms are far worse than marijuana as well. There is no field in which alcohol should be considered less damaging than weed.

Weed has many short term effects, but alcohol has more, and far worse effects. Some short term effects of weed are rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure, and increased rate of breathing, red eyes, dry mouth, increased appetite, and slowed reaction time. Some of these may seem bad but alcohol's include slurred speech, drowsiness, vomiting, diarrhea, upset stomach, breathing difficulties, distorted vision/hearing, impaired judgment, decreased perception/coordination, unconsciousness, anemia (loss of red blood cells) ,coma, and blackouts. This list depends on how much alcohol was consumed, but all of that could happen your first time drinking. Coma, blackout, and impaired judgment, compared to red eyes, and the munchies, which do you think is better or worse for your body?

The long term effects of marijuana don't differ as much from its short term effects but alcohol’s gets even worse. Alcohol's long term effects include; liver disease, nerve damage, permanent damage to the brain, high blood pressure which could lead to a stroke and death, ulcers, gastritis, malnutrition, and, believe it or not, cancer of the mouth and throat. Marijuana's long term effects are; reduced resistance to common illness, growth disorders, personality and mood changes, lesions to the brain which could be permanent, and damaged lung fibers. Both seem very bad although alcohols are lethal, they could very well cause your death through stroke, or cancer, or even through brain damage. None of marijuana's symptoms are lethal, and only one might be permanent. In addition to long term effects alcohol is so bad that it is considered a disease to have the symptoms, its called alcoholism. There is one way in which marijuana can be considered a worse drug than alcohol and this is the gateway drug theory.

The Gateway drug theory is a immeasurable down side The theory states that people who use and/or abuse marijuana are more likely to move on to more serious drugs such as cocaine and heroin, this theory has a great margin for error. 41% of americans have used marijuana in their lifetime. With nearly half of americans having used marijuana, who’s to say that the fact that most cocaine and heroin users have a background in abusing weed is just a coincidence. Also, consider that the neighborhoods in which weed is present and easily obtained is also one in which cocaine and heroin are also present and easily obtained. So for all we know the fact that most users of cocaine and heroin have used weed in the past are two unrelated things. Some people that have used weed and became successful in their life are Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, and Michael Phelps. If you believe that Alcohol is better than marijuana than I bet you're thinking that those people are one in a million and that since 41% of americans used marijuana in their lifetime it could also simply be a coincidence, and they could have no relation. Fact is, whether people fail or succeed, it has no correlation to weed for all we know.
So, alcohol can put you in a coma the first time drinking, if drunk on a regular basis you could die. Weed used the first time causes slowed reaction time, and increased appetite. If consistently used it may cause lesions of your brain. Alcohol, beer, wine wherever it is, and in whatever drink it is in, is far worse for your mind and organs than marijuana could ever be. Yet weed is illegal in 50 states and you're allowed to drink as much alcohol as you want as long as you don't drive and you're over 21. This is a system in which is being inconsistent and something should be done.

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