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. 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. However, dosing with edibles can be imperfect and take time to ascertain so when using edibles it’s best to pace yourself and examine how you feel. Alcohol is also highly addictive and over time addiction can increase your chances of developing health issues and even a physical dependency. As mentioned, alcohol can cause many different negative effects on your body, most notably the liver. Smoking can have an impact on your lung health similar to cigarette smoke.
How Does Cannabis Compare to Alcohol?
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- At face value, they’re both harmful substances — suggesting that a title for “worst” may not be the important answer we’re looking for.
- 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?
- The data suggests that 30% of those who use cannabis may have some degree of cannabis use disorder.
Moderate alcohol consumption may have cardiovascular benefits but excessive drinking can put you at an increased risk of high blood pressure, cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmias. While the growing increase in medical and recreational cannabis legalization is providing a larger data set there isn’t enough tracking to link specific medical deaths to cannabis. Despite this, edibles generally offer a healthier path to cannabis consumption, especially when compared to the systemic damage caused by chronic alcohol use. This article explores how alcohol and cannabis compare across a range of factors including their physiological effects, potential for dependency, risk of overdose, cognitive impact, and more. She warned that both alcohol and cannabis are psychoactive substances that can impair reaction time and cognitive processing, raising the risk of accidents and injuries. In an accompanying editorial, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, urged health professionals to assess cannabis use in all patients, just like tobacco and alcohol use, and educate them about cannabis risks.
Alcohol
One of the main negative issues of weed vs. alcohol is all of the issues with smoking marijuana. Now that we’ve explored the various impacts of both cannabis and alcohol, what are the potential impacts on your body? Alcohol has been legal significantly longer compared to cannabis and some of these stigmas can impact people’s judgment about cannabis use. Overall, cannabis use can be healthier and less addictive than alcohol use. It can cause mood swings and we’re all familiar with people who are “angry drunks.” The impact of alcohol can vary based on how much you’re using and how your body interacts with it. Some people may consider both substances similar because of how they make you feel.
The higher-THC marijuana appeared to suppress cravings immediately after smoking, but the lower dose did not. The higher-THC marijuana produced a 48% longer wait — about 11 minutes — before the first drink, while the lower-THC marijuana did not differ significantly from the placebo. They then spent two hours in the bar lab with the option of consuming up to eight “mini-drinks” of their choice that would raise blood alcohol levels to 0.10g/dL in total. The study employed an intricate experimental Weed vs booze design designed to simulate a setting where people would be more likely to drink. Researchers found that, compared with a placebo, smoking a joint before drinking led participants to drink less and, in some cases, to report less desire to drink.
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Low-dose chronic THC is likely to impair attention, increase impaired driving risks, and produce dependency, withdrawal, anxiety, and tachycardia. The rise of THC-infused beverages represents a significant shift from the alcohol-only landscape of social substance use in the US. One study showed that cannabis users had about a six-fold increase in heart attack risk, four-fold increase in ischemic stroke risk, and double the heart-failure risk versus non-users.
How Addictive Is Alcohol Vs Weed?
“Cannabis can reduce drinking in the short term, but it also carries its own risks. The study, which used a simulated bar environment as its laboratory, examined how smoking cannabis before drinking alcohol affected participants’ alcohol consumption. But people are less familiar with the effects of cannabis in general — and of cannabis beverages in particular. While alcohol remains the most-used drug in the US, daily cannabis use has actually outpaced daily drinking, according to a study following four decades of consumption trends. That being said, alcohol still faces all of the same aforementioned tolls on your health and risks of addiction. While there is the possibility for occasional deaths and accidents caused by cannabis use there isn’t sufficient data to compare it to alcohol.
Comparing Death Tolls: Alcohol vs. Cannabis
The answer isn’t clear, not yet, anyway, but the timing of the question is relevant as more Americans experiment with being “California sober,” replacing alcohol with cannabis. Now leading experts at Harvard Medical School are here to help you separate fact from frightening fiction about medical cannabis so you can make informed decisions. With so much misinformation and junk-science on the internet, it is important to get solid facts from doctors and scientists you can trust before deciding if medical marijuana could help you. 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? After recreational cannabis became legal to sell in California, cannabis-related emergency department visits increased in older adults. If you down one cannabis drink and don’t wait long enough to feel the effects and have one or two more, you can double or triple your THC dose very quickly.
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- More than half of Americans live in states where recreational cannabis is legal.
- It’s important to keep in mind, though that fewer studies are available about the harmful effects of marijuana, making the data inconclusive.
- It’s important to note that when cannabis gets legalized many people may use cannabis semi-legally by consuming illegally purchased cannabis which can lead to them consuming more than standard dosages.
- Alcohol on the other hand can heavily impact your cognitive function.
Evaluating How Alcohol and Marijuana Stack Up Against Each Other
Cannabis can have cognitive effects including short-term memory loss and difficulties concentrating. Additionally, alcohol is more socially acceptable in public use or work situations while using cannabis at a work function could be looked down upon. After all, you can only purchase cannabis products at dispensaries where in some states you can purchase alcohol in supermarkets.
Smoking Cannabis May Help People Drink Less Alcohol, Study Finds
Still, there are generally more unknowns with cannabis drinks, says Dr. Gruber. Older adults may be more vulnerable to these unpleasant effects, in part because drug metabolism slows with age. “They may feel uneasy or anxious and their heart rate and blood pressure may rise. Nausea and vomiting are also possible, and some people even become paranoid and agitated,” says Dr. Gruber.
Health News
Cannabis is more likely to lead to a use disorder where you are habitually or are psychologically addicted to cannabis and want to use it. This can require you to seek medical treatment to come clean. Prolonged alcohol use can lead to physical dependence, where the body becomes reliant on alcohol to function normally.This can cause the shakes and can affect your ability to lead a normal life. Excessive alcohol use can cause brain damage and degenerative conditions like Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, which can cause severe memory impairment and other cognitive deficits. Despite there being issues, most issues caused by cannabis can be reversible if you stop using cannabis.
It’s also important to remember that there aren’t many high quality, long-term studies on cannabis and its effects. The immediate effects of cannabis can vary quite a bit from person to person. Another person might not have any issues with misusing alcohol but still find it hard to function without cannabis. For example, one person may have a very low tolerance for cannabis but be able to tolerate alcohol well. Reactions to cannabis and alcohol differ from person to person.
However, in November 2025, new legislation enacted by Congress redefined “hemp,” and it will ban most hemp-derived THC beverages and edibles late in 2026. In contrast, cannabis is perceived as safer, without causing liver damage, cancers, or the cognitive decline linked to alcohol. The percentage of drinking adults in the US has been dropping since 2010, and the trend away from alcohol is accelerating. “‘California sober’ might apply to someone who drinks a single low-THC beverage per day or someone that’s smoking a high-potency marijuana cigarette five times per day. That type of recommendation would be premature and potentially risky,” said Metrik.
The difference in mortality impact between alcohol and cannabis is stark. The American Journal of Public Health found that between 2000 to 2018, fatal crashes involving cannabis rose from 9% to 21.5%, and crashes involving both substances more than doubled. Unlike alcohol, cannabis is now widely recognized as a potential substitute for various pharmaceuticals and continues to be explored for its medical benefits. In general, yes—alcohol poses a greater threat to health than cannabis.
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In general, marijuana is considered less harmful than alcohol but alcohol can be considered more socially acceptable. If you’re comparing alcohol vs. weed here are some pros and cons. While both are intoxicants they can affect the body differently and can also impact your health differently. You may be wondering if you should use weed or alcohol. Alcohol is highly addictive and some people can have a genetic predisposition to alcoholism. It’s important to understand the distinct difference between alcohol and cannabis addiction.
