Marijuana has been a long-time controversy in the United States. From being legal, to then becoming illegal and a schedule 1 drug, to then being legalized for medicinal use and finally for recreational use in some states. No one can seem to agree on whether it should be legal or not. But why are drugs such as alcohol legal everywhere when they clearly are more detrimental to our health than marijuana is? In addressing the question of, which is the healthier alternative: marijuana or alcohol, we have to look at a few aspects. What are the pros of both? What are the cons? Can marijuana be beneficial to us? There are so many important facts about these drugs that slide through the cracks and never make it to public common knowledge. For example, did you know that the phrase “Weed is a gateway drug” is far from the truth? Only about 9% of marijuana users become dependent on it or proceed to harder drugs (CBS News). There is so much incorrect information flying around from mouth to mouth about these drugs that it’s hard to distinguish what’s fact from fiction. While it is easy to say that no one has died from a marijuana overdose and more than 88,000 deaths per year are linked to alcohol, we must look at all aspects of this argument. For instance, Stephanie Castillo mentions an experiment done by the University of Illinois that states, “…men with blood alcohol content just under the legal limit were more creative and insightful; a separate study showed advertising creatives allowed to drink as much as they wanted came up with better ideas than their peers who only drank water.” I bet this information comes as a shock to you and opens your mind up to see the bigger picture. As bad of a reputation as both of these drugs get, there are plenty of advantages to both of them when used in the right dosage. So, is marijuana the healthier and more beneficial option as compared to alcohol?

Joe Brownstein is a graduate from Johns Hopkins University with a Bachelor’s Degree in creative writing, biology and public health. He also attended medical school at Boston University for science and medical journalism, talks about the difference between alcohol and marijuana. Brownstein starts off by saying that while alcohol takes the lives of tens of thousands of Americans per year, the studies on marijuana and its relation to health are still too juvenile when compared to the studies on alcohol. The health concerns are broken down into two parts; short term and long term. Ruben Baler, a health scientist at the National Institute of Drug abuse states, “You can die binge-drinking five minutes after you’ve been exposed to alcohol. That isn’t going to happen with marijuana. The impact of marijuana is much subtler.” Marijuana acts on the blood pressure and heart rate of a person, whereas excess alcohol can build up in the brain and lead to the termination of a person’s heartbeat or respiration. Brownstein also mentions that alcohol has a tendency to intermingle with other drugs, which causes the effects to be amplified. There are pros and cons to both drugs; however, alcohol seems to be the more dangerous of the two when it comes to negative effects. On the other hand, marijuana also affects coordination and balance, making it very dangerous to do things such as drive. In either case, people are still capable of being a danger to themselves and others around them (Brownstein). 

David Gorelick conducted a study to see the adverse effects of both alcohol and marijuana. In his experiment, he found that a large portion of both the marijuana users and alcohol users (87%) had experienced some sort of negative affect. These include; trouble with memory, hurt relationships with family, reducing emotional stability and unsafe driving. Some statistics that were found for the effects of alcohol vs marijuana were more often associated with alcohol use. For example, the phrase ‘‘caused you to behave in ways that you later regretted’’ was 23.7% for alcohol vs. 5.6% for marijuana, ‘‘interfered with your ability to think clearly’’ was 15.5% for alcohol vs. 6.7% for marijuana. Some other statements were more towards marijuana such as, ‘involved with people you think are a bad influence on you’’ was 12.1% for marijuana vs. 8.2% for alcohol and ‘‘caused you to have less energy’’ was 9.3% for marijuana vs. 5.2% for alcohol. So, we can see that both drugs take their toll on their users. Nevertheless, we also can see that the effects of marijuana were less than those of alcohol. Acting in ways you regret and not being able to think properly are far worse than having less energy and thinking that your friends are a bad influence on you. To add to this point, the percentages in favor of marijuana were not trailed very far by alcohol, whereas the effects in favor of alcohol had a larger lead on the percentages from marijuana. 

So how do alcohol and marijuana rank up against other drugs? Celia Morgan, Phd and Professor of Psychopharmacology at Exeter University, conducted an experiment on 1501 people to classify drugs as either harmful or not harmful, and then to classify them as far as benefits go. Alcohol was ranked #5, behind Street Methadone, Cocaine, Crack and Heroin. Whereas marijuana was ranked #17 followed by Methylphenidate, Khat and Alkyl Nitrates. The experiment revealed that Cannabis was ranked #2 behind ecstasy in acute and chronic benefits whereas alcohol was ranked #11. So, it is clear that the vast majority of people agree that marijuana is much safer and more beneficial than alcohol. She also made the point, like I have said before, that both are drugs and both can cause damage. When choosing between the two the first answer should be neither, but if one had to choose, marijuana is going to be the safer choice and can also be beneficial in areas such as pain relief without causing damage to your body like alcohol does (Morgan).

The biggest fear in users and their parents when it comes to these drugs are the long term effects. What could happen if someone were to be an avid alcohol or marijuana user? Now the obvious answer for alcohol is liver damage. This can then lead to fibrosis of the liver and then eventually liver cancer. Whereas with marijuana, the long-term effects on the smoke causing lung cancer have been proven wrong. Smoking marijuana does not lead to lung cancer (Brownstein). However; because marijuana is generally consumed through the respiratory system, it can cause illnesses such as bronchitis. To add to this, most patients say withdrawal from marijuana is much less intense than from alcohol or tobacco (Bebinger). 

While marijuana is much safer than alcohol in terms of health effects, marijuana can still hinder the development of the brain in its younger users. Marijuana affects memory, and while your brain is developing and trying to create neurological pathways, it’s being hindered by a memory impairment. The effects of marijuana are most concerning in High-School and college students because this is the prime time for their brain to be gathering new information. Baler, a health scientist at the National Institute on Drug Abuse says, "at a time when the brain should be at a clear state of mind, and accumulating, memory and data and good experiences that should be laying out the foundation for the future.” College life is one of the primary places where one could find a plethora of drug and alcohol abuse. In fact, in 2013 according to an article on Drug Abuse, it was reported that 114,712,000 people ages 12 and up were using marijuana. The number has only increased since (Brande).  Helene White, a professor of Sociology at the Center of Alcohol Studies at Rutgers University, writes that in college, students go in thinking that alcohol and drug use are part of the “social norm”. There are benefits and negatives to these actions. One of the benefits is that participating in these types of events grows your social network and allows you to make more friends. Whereas the negative effects, obviously, are damage to one’s body. Participating in these types of activities may seem like a good idea to help make some lifelong friends, but they can just as easily end up being dangerous or taking someone’s life. White then goes on to talk about how college athletes generally consume the most alcohol due to the amount of popularity they receive. The peer pressure to drink and fit in is enough to make most college athletes the majority of “college binge drinkers”. White then talks about drug use and how college students are more likely to drink than their non-college peers, but are less likely to use hard drugs (not including marijuana). About half of all college students in the U.S. use cannabis, which leads to difficulty learning and problems with memory (White). 

Aaron Carroll, a professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine, when asked the question, “Which drug would you prefer your children to use?” said that “neither” is the obvious first answer, but if he had to choose it would be marijuana. He then talks about violence and how marijuana is typically, although wrongly, associated with crime. He mentions that criminal activity associated with marijuana is almost always related to distribution and not violence. Carroll goes on to say, “On the other hand, the number of crimes that are committed that have some sort of alcohol component related to them is massive – hundreds of thousands a year, if not more. It's far worse than what’s going on with pot.” So, it’s apparent that marijuana seems to be the preferred among medical professionals. One can see why this information makes sense. Those who are under the effects of alcohol are typically more violent than those under the effects of marijuana. The term “Bar Fight” is not unheard of when it comes to going out with your friends. When under the influence of alcohol, one seems to believe that they are indestructible, and feel the need to prove themselves to others. Whereas with marijuana, one is most likely primarily concerned with eating and entertainment. To put these two in the same scenario, during a bar fight, the individual affected by alcohol would be in the fight, while the individual affected by marijuana would be watching it (Carroll).  

Since the first day we all learned about drugs, it has always been said that marijuana is a “gateway drug”, and that if we consume it, we will become reliant on it and eventually move onto harder drugs such as crack and heroin. Growing up and becoming more informed on this topic, one can see that this statement is simply not true. Carroll says, “Research shows us that about 9% of people who experiment with pot will become dependent or abuse it. The percent that later becomes dependent or abuse alcohol is greater than 20%. So, more people who use alcohol are actually going to have a problem with it later in life.” To talk about why alcohol is legal and marijuana is not is a whole other essay, but to briefly cover it, it’s believed that this is true because it has been around longer and people are more used to it; with time comes comfort. Another speculation is the fact that marijuana is so easily grown. Being that it’s so easy, it would be very difficult to regulate and tax. It’s hard to argue that most people are incapable of planting a seed and watering it until it is fully grown. Whereas with alcohol, it is a much more difficult process with fermenting and getting the right mixture, so it puts less worry on the government to try to regulate it. The alcohol industry is one of the biggest industries in the world and generates more than 475 billion dollars a year. If the government were to introduce marijuana to the equation, billions of dollars would be lost in sales, not to mention countless amounts of jobs. But wouldn’t it make more sense if the marijuana industry was the legal one and not the alcohol industry? It would be the same concept, liquor stores replaced with dispensaries, bars would be the same except replaced with marijuana, all at the same time decreasing liver cancer rates, violence rates and unneeded injuries or deaths in america. The marijuana industry would grow to a similar stature as the alcohol industry. While all of this is happening, our country’s crime and violence rates are plummeting, while still maintaining the economical cycle.  Carroll finishes with saying “It is hard to argue from data or from actual science that that’s the way it should be [about alcohol].” Saying that even though this is the way it is, there is no actual evidence to support why alcohol is legal and marijuana is not, scientifically speaking (Carroll).

               Finally, a breakdown of what each of these drugs does to the human body. Marijuana’s main ingredient is THC. THC attaches to cannabinoid receptors throughout the body, and one of those receptors is in the cerebral cortex. This is the part of the brain that is responsible for memory, thinking, and consciousness. Another part of the body that THC infiltrates is the hypothalamus, which is responsible for appetite, and finally the amygdala, which is responsible for emotions. Hence, the “munchies” and increased risk of paranoia and anxiety. Alcohol enters the cerebellum and effects coordination and balance. Alcohol also affects memory and emotions, which are why people who drink sometimes end up saying “What happened last night?” Alcohol over time can also permanently damage brain tissues as well. Alcohol is deadly in many ways and can ruin your life forever if it doesn’t kill you first. Some of the side effects of alcohol include high blood pressure, heart disease, liver disease, as well as cancer, dementia, depression, and anxiety (Castillo). 

So, it is very clear that both of these drugs are dangerous if used incorrectly or abused. When used in moderation, these both promote creativity and marijuana even has a surplus of health benefits. In conclusion, marijuana is the safer drug when compared to alcohol. Someone would have to consume 1,500 pounds of marijuana in 15 minutes to get a lethal dosage, which is physically impossible to do. Marijuana has many health benefits and is even used as a medicine to treat things like anxiety and insomnia. Marijuana does not lead to using other, harsher drugs like we were all brought up to believe. In fact, it is 11% more likely that an alcohol abuser will have dependency problems than a marijuana. Marijuana crimes are primarily made up of distribution charges, whereas alcohol charges are primarily reckless driving, DUI and public intoxication. Marijuana has zero recorded deaths due to overdose, and alcohol is in the tens of thousands per year. The worst thing that a marijuana user will get from consuming the smoke is bronchitis or another respiratory infection of that nature, but with alcohol, a person could be dead within just 5 minutes of consuming it if they were to drink enough. Alcohol is a poison, marijuana is a medicine; (when consumed in the right dosages). Everyone has heard of medical marijuana, but there is no such thing as medical alcohol. Overall, I have to agree with Dr. Aaron Carroll that when given the opportunity, “neither” is always the correct answer, but if I had to choose the safer drug, it would be marijuana. 
