Alcohol or Marijuana: Which is Worse for Your Brain?

Experts see the rankings as deeply flawed, largely because they present the harms that come from drugs in a rather crude, one-dimensional manner. As with the short-term effects of alcohol and weed, the long-term effects differ from person to person. Green Health Docs’ mission is to combat the nation’s opioid epidemic. As a team of pain medicine physicians, anesthesiologists, and surgeons, we knew that there had to be a better way to help patients.

Getting drunk or high can feel similar to some people, while others describe the sensations as very different. Of course, the way you feel when you’re intoxicated also depends on how much of the substance you consume. Weed may appear to be safer than alcohol simply because we aren’t yet aware of certain risks. Before getting into comparing alcohol and weed, it’s important to understand some of the factors that make the comparison tricky. One thing that’s clear about the alcohol vs. weed debate is that both should be used responsibly and driving while intoxicated on anything should be avoided at all costs. Alcohol can contribute to social and behavioral issues, including aggression, mood swings, outbursts, relationship issues, and legal troubles.

Does Alcohol Increase Dopamine?

Although not as widespread, the harmful effects of marijuana on the brain, including brain development, may be greater. While everyone is different, people generally know how they’re going to react if they drink, say, a light beer or two gin and tonics, says Dr. Gruber. But people are less familiar with the effects of cannabis in general — and of cannabis beverages in particular. That’s compounded by the varied amounts, mixtures, and other ingredients different drinks may contain. Although for palliative care, he said, „that would be a different realm of medicine,” in which the goal is to drug a person so they do not feel pain.

Weed before alcohol: Assume you’ve had an extra drink or two

Cannabis affects reaction time, judgment, and other critical brain functions, and high doses of cannabis products cause greater impairment. Substance abuse, also known as substance use disorder, increases the risk of negative consequences and the severity of problems. One of the most common things people want to know is whether alcohol or marijuana is worse for your brain and overall health. At first glance, it might seem that alcohol does the most damage to our brain health and general well-being because it is more widely used.

1. Getting a medical marijuana card can ensure that you have access to regulated medical marijuana simply and easily.
2. The question of whether alcohol or marijuana is worse for health is being debated once again, this time, sparked by comments that President Barack Obama made in a recent interview with The New Yorker magazine.
3. Compared with sober participants, the intoxicated volunteers were found to have reduced functioning in the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain linked with moderating social behavior.
4. „It’s hard to argue from data or from actual science that that’s the way it should be,” he said.
5. If those deaths were included, the number would be closer to 90,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
6. Experts see the rankings as deeply flawed, largely because they present the harms that come from drugs in a rather crude, one-dimensional manner.

What are the Main Differences Between the Effects, Risks & Safety of Alcohol vs Weed?

Still, there’s some evidence to suggest that regularly combining alcohol and weed may have some concerning effects over time. Hangovers and an increasing sense of anxiety on the mornings after affected her work performance and her ability to exercise, an enjoyable part of her life. That said, scientists believe that a marijuana overdose is highly unlikely. One study found it was safe for animals to consume about 30% of their body weight in cannabis without overdosing; that’s the equivalent of a 160-pound Alcohol Detox Diet Eating Healthy During Alcohol Withdrawal person eating 48 pounds of weed at one time.

The cannabinoids found in beverages are specially formulated to dissolve in liquid. This means they are more easily and rapidly absorbed into the body’s soft tissues. State laws vary on whether and where these drinks can be sold and on age restrictions. Here at Vox, we’re unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you — threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country. People’s responses to each substance can vary greatly, so what seems safer for one person might not work for someone else. With proper tolerance breaks, you can lower your tolerance of THC and become less reliant on large amounts of cannabis to feel the same way and regulate your cannabis use.

Cannabis is not an FDA-approved substance and is still illegal under federal law. The information provided on this website is intended for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is not intended as medical advice and should not be considered as a substitute for advice from a healthcare professional. We strongly recommend that you consult with a physician or other qualified healthcare provider before using any cannabis products.

Health Effects Of Weed Vs. Alcohol

And if the question is about length, the reticulated python is the biggest. Even if two drugs score similarly in Nutt’s analysis, the underlying variables behind the scores can be completely different. For instance, heroin and crack cocaine are fairly close in the rankings. But heroin scores much higher for mortality risk, while crack poses a much bigger risk for mental impairment. While being intoxicated with weed feels different than being intoxicated with alcohol, the two have roughly the same effect on your cognitive abilities, reflexes, and judgment. For example, one person may have a very low tolerance for weed but be able to tolerate alcohol well.

The use of any information provided on this website is solely at your own risk. The problems occurring when the two drugs interact tend to be related to cognitive and motor function. Cognitive side effects include concentration problems, confusion, impaired judgment, and difficulty thinking.

And one study found marijuana users have a 4.8-fold increase in risk of a heart attack during the first hour after smoking because of the drug’s effect on your heart rate. While men and women were more concerned with alcohol consumption in relation to addiction, appearance, or health, the most pressing concern was public behavior, which they were only somewhat concerned about. While excessive drinking has been somewhat pacified on social media or even in real-life social settings, drinking can be deceptively dangerous, and binge drinking is particularly troubling. The researchers looked at brain scans from about 850 substance-using adults ages 18 to 55 and about substance-using 440 teens ages 14 to 19, all of whom reported varying levels of alcohol and cannabis use.

Generally speaking, weed tends to come with fewer risks than alcohol, but there are a lot of factors to consider. Plus, they’re unique substances that produce different effects, which makes side-by-side comparisons difficult. Alcohol detox can take a significant amount of time and have heavy withdrawal symptoms, while cannabis withdrawal can last anywhere from a few days to a couple weeks. It can also be completely out of your system in 1-3 months with you returned to normal levels and function.