The cannabis industry is making marijuana as readily available thanks to recreational legalization; it could be as common as alcohol. While there are some issues to the abuse of cannabis they are nowhere near as hazardous as alcoholism and the toll of alcohol on the body. They both have a history of impairing judgment and can directly increase your chances of having an accident.
- 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?
- Varieties of cannabis that contain low levels of THC (less than 0.3%) are classified as hemp, while those with more than 0.3% THC are considered cannabis.
- A 1979 clinical trial published in Psychopharmacology suggests that mixing CBD and alcohol causes severely impaired motor function and distorted time perception.
- The idea is lawmakers could look at this model to help decide on an individual basis which policies are better for each drug.
- Cannabis addiction is surprisingly common, however, according to 2015 study.
Potential for misuse
Thankfully, as more states legalize cannabis and recreational sales we can observe more data about the effect on death and accident rates. One study examined these data points exploring when cannabis was legalized vs. when retail sales began. Additionally, while you can have a cannabis overdose it’s not remotely fatal while an overdose of alcohol can cause lasting damage and even death. Weed is not without its pitfalls but alcohol is by far more problematic. Alcohol and cannabis are vastly different but often get lumped together because they are intoxicants.
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Whether you use CBD oil, CBD gummies, or anything else, try to keep CBD and alcohol far apart. For example, a small 2013 randomized controlled trial published in the Journal of Addictive Behaviors showed CBD reduced cigarette consumption in smokers by 40%. CBD’s ability to help reduce addictive behaviors has generated a lot of hope for addicts and doctors alike. Studies are limited (like virtually everything CBD-related), but they at least involve some human testing.
Does Alcohol Increase Dopamine?
A 2019 review in Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology examined preclinical data and human studies. The authors concluded that CBD may reduce the urge to binge drink. You go out planning to drink in moderation, but somewhere things get out of hand and you lose count. The next morning all you can say is “I’ll never drink again.” But most people know it’s a short-lived promise.
Editorial: What science says about marijuana
Research on whether smoked marijuana causes lung disease or cancer has yielded conflicting results, with studies that control for tobacco smoking finding no significant effect from marijuana on lung cancer risk. Although drug policy experts generally don’t dispute the assertion that alcohol is more dangerous than pot, the study, led by British researcher David Nutt, is quite controversial. Experts see the rankings as deeply flawed, largely because they present the harms that come from drugs in a rather crude, one-dimensional manner. Just one drink a day can raise blood pressure, trigger a dangerous irregular heartbeat or even shrink your brain, studies have found. Those are just a few of the many pitfalls of alcohol use, including the risk of cancer. Similarly, the THC in cannabis causes an increase in levels of dopamine in the brain and this motivates people to keep using it.
PLUS, the latest news on medical advances and breakthroughs from Harvard Medical School experts. “People are interested in an experience that allows them to relax and enjoy themselves. Some are leaning into cannabis drinks as part of the ‘Cali sober’ trend,” says Dr. Gruber. Alcohol can contribute to social and behavioral issues, including aggression, mood swings, outbursts, relationship issues, and legal troubles. There are some potential cardiovascular benefits with light-to-moderate use like 1-2 glasses of wine per day.
And if the question is about length, the reticulated python is the biggest. The number of daily users suggests that more people are at risk for developing problematic cannabis use or addiction, Gorelick said. The research, based on data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, was published How Long Does Ecstasy MDMA Stay in Your System Wednesday in the journal Addiction. The survey is a highly regarded source of estimates of tobacco, alcohol and drug use in the United States. In a 2013 study, 80 people participated in six testing sessions. In each session, participants consumed a different combination of placebo, low, and moderate doses of THC and alcohol.