The Benefits of Choosing Weed Over Alcohol

Comparison of Health Effects

There are many well-known dangers associated with alcohol consumption, such as liver damage, heart disease, and higher risk of cancer. Drinking alcohol regularly contributes to weight gain, poor sleeping patterns, and often affects cognitive ability over time.

Cannabis does not produce organ damage in the same way as alcohol does to your liver, heart, or brain. Although smoking is still a danger to your lungs, newer methods of consumption, such as vaporizing or eating cannabis do not pose lung dangers.

Social and Behavioral Benefits

Alcohol can many times worsen aggressive behaviors and poor decision-making, contributing to violence and injuries and poor decisions. Drunk driving alone is a significant public safety concern that kills thousands of people per year from alcohol about auto accidents.

Cannabis use typically produces relaxation, reflection, and calm; not aggression. There is no evidence that cannabis use relates to the same violent behaviors we see when someone is intoxicated by alcohol. Although driving under any form of impairment is never a good idea, studies show that cannabis impairment may not be as impactful as alcohol impairment on motor coordination and reaction times.

The social context between the two substances are notably different. Alcohol use and consumption culture are often based on binge drinking and peer pressure. For the cannabis community, social consumption often involves a sense of smart consumption and principles surrounding harm reduction.

Mental Health Benefits

Alcohol is a depressant which exacerbates symptoms of anxiety and depression despite acute positive mood changes. Regular drinking causes disruptions to neurotransmitter balances that lead to long-term decline in mental health.

Cannabis can have practical benefits for mental illness. Many cannabis consumers can signal mood improvement, reduced anxiety, and improved sleep. Medical research is reviewing applications of cannabis for PTSD, depression, and depression disorders with encouraging early results.

The ability of cannabis to generate creativity and stimulate relaxation can provide healthy approaches to coping with stress without the mental reprisal experience that can accompany alcohol consumption.

Financial and Practical Considerations

Every year alcohol addiction costs consumers and taxpayers billions of dollars in healthcare costs, lost productivity, and justice system costs. Bar tabs, restaurant prices, and top-shelf spirits add up to prohibitively high bills for regular drinkers.

The financial implication per usage session of cannabis often costs less than the equivalent alcohol consumption when considering per dose of cannabis purchased by weight and/or potency. For individuals who grow their cannabis wherever it is legal to do so, consumption costs can be considerably reduced, total product costs can be lower, and the quality of products you consume is yours to determine.

Hangovers resulting from drinking alcohol have costs and expenses with lost productivity and quality of life. Consumers of cannabis are not subject to the same next-day impairment effect and can commence their life and responsibilities after having consumed cannabis in a responsible manner.

Legal and Safety Considerations

A legal cannabis marketplace provides products that have been regulated and have quality assurance, known dosage values for consistency, and were tested for safety prior to selling; which did not exist in illegal environments.

Choosing to smoke weed rather than drink alcohol is aligned with emerging scientific knowledge and social acceptance of cannabis.