In the United States, cannabis is illegal under federal law. However, in recent times multiple states have legalized cannabis and have at least one dispensary in every county. According to Pew Research Centre, 54% of Americans stay in states where marijuana is legal for recreational use. Their report also mentioned that there are around 15,000 marijuana dispensaries in the United States. The following section of the blog would discuss cannabis in detail and the difference between cannabis vs. alcohol.
What are Cannabis Drinks?
Cannabis or marijuana is extracted from Cannabis sativa plants. This plant contains 100 chemical compounds known as cannabinoids. The chemical interacts with the human brain multiple ways. THC cannabinoids cause intoxication and euphoria and also soothe pains and nausea for some people. The other type cannabidiol (CBD) does not have any intoxicating effect and is used for medical purposes such as anxiety disorder.
Cannabis is found in edible items as well as in liquids. The cannabinoids found in liquid beverages are more readily absorbed in the soft tissues of the body. This implies the effect experienced of cannabis is much faster if consumed in the liquid form than edible.
The Difference in the Effect: Cannabis Vs Alcohol
Research based on the data of four decades of consumption trends has shown that young adults prefer cannabis than alcohol. This has been concluded by observing a change in the pattern of alcohol consumption. Mostly, people who are adopting non-alcoholic beverages in their diet have been found to have included cannabis drinks.
There are many debates revolving around the effect of cannabis vs. alcohol. Many people believe that cannabis is less harmful than marijuana or cannabis. Let’s check out some of the comparisons between the risk factors of alcohol and cannabis.
1. Alcohol Overdose vs. Cannabis Overdose
Studies have shown that alcohol overdose has led to much more fatalities than cannabis. According to a CDC report, yearly around 88,000 alcohol overdose-related fatalities have been reported. Whereas, cannabis overdose related deaths are negligible. This is because people get overdosed more easily with alcohol than it is possible to get overdosed with cannabis.
2. Crime Rates
Crime rates are highly associated with addiction. However, studies have shown that alcoholic people commit more crimes than people who are cannabis addicted. Data have shown that the rate of domestic violence among the alcoholic population is much more than other substance abusers. Moreover, cannabis users are the least likely to get involved in domestic violence.
3. DUI Tendencies
DUI is one of the most common traits of people with problems of alcohol overdose. On the other hand, drivers involved in accidents have commonly been detected with cannabis. It has also been shown that 83% of road accidents are caused by cannabis. However, the rate of alcohol driven car accidents is more than 2,200%.
4. Effect on Cognition and Memory
Memory is heavily affected with excessive alcohol abuse. Moreover, the intensity and the amount consumed vary from person to person. Some people may blackout by taking one to two pegs of alcohol and others might need more.
However, memory loss is a most common side effect of alcohol addiction. People have reported that they don’t remember anything when they get blackout after drinking. Additionally, teenagers have been reported to have done things which they don’t remember under the influence of alcohol.
On the other hand, excessive cannabis abuse can also seriously impair memory power and lead to mental problems. However, overdose of cannabis is not easily possible and cannabis also does not cause an instant effect like alcohol.
Conclusion
From the above discussion it is evident that cannabis is a much safer addiction than alcohol. This is the reason young people who are trying to give up alcohol addiction are choosing cannabis. You can visit some of the best dispensaries in Lawton, Oklahoma to obtain authentic cannabis. The above discussed the difference between cannabis vs. alcohol in terms of various risk factors. Hope these facts prove convincing for you to choose cannabis over alcohol.