Marijuana and alcohol. Two of the most popular substances in today’s society. At a younger and younger age, children are being exposed to both of them- what they are, how they’re used and the effects. And at that age, children are very impressionable. Adults are telling them that marijuana is bad, that it will lead you to the Devil’s open arms. But when it comes to alcohol, apparently it’s “okay”. What makes them think marijuana shouldn’t be legalized even though liquor is? What makes them think that alcohol is perfectly fine at a certain age, when weed isn’t?
If you look at statistics, there are over 75,000 deaths per year in the U.S. due to alcohol- and deaths with marijuana as a contributor? None that have ever been recorded. Alcohol can also cause damage in almost every part of you; marijuana can rarely cause health issues. Sure, marijuana can kill a brain cell or two, but alcohol can give you several types of cancers, shut down your heart and/or liver, and kill off entire parts of your brain.
Other than physical damage, there is also mental and emotional damages that come with drinking- it can blur the lines of reality and cloud your judgment (causing long term effects, sometimes). Drinking makes you unpredictable- you may lash out and become very violent. However, if someone is high, they’re probably just going to lie around, watch T.V. and snack. Alcohol can create abusive relationships- a lot of today’s abusive families are because of one or more people being alcoholics, or dancing on the line of being an alcoholic.
But what about the upsides of drinking alcohol? It doesn’t cause you to gain weight. That’s about it. How about the upsides to marijuana? It can help temporarily stop aches and pains and it stops nausea and irritability; marijuana can also help mental patients by momentarily “numbing” their mind.
Addiction being another concern, I’d like to clear this up. Marijuana is less addictive than even coffee. In fact, it really isn’t addictive. There are people who can become “addicted” to marshmallows, or spring water, or chocolate. They can become addicted to anything, really. It all depends on your set of mind. Addiction to alcohol is real, though. If you continuously drink, then your body gets to a point where the drink beckons you, and your body will say to you, “I’m going to die without that sweet, wonderful intoxicant.”
So what’s the big brouhaha all about? Alcohol is actually supposed to be easier to get than pot- and cheaper- which is why I’m guessing it’s oh so popular. Marijuana has been illegal for so long, that people are scared to stand up and say, “Hey! You’ve been feeding us lies!” And that is actually the truth, however ironic that sounds. Others have been discouraging us from weed for such a long time, that no one really knows how to change the fact that our generation, and the one before us, and the one before them, and the one before that and so on, has been lied to. The uninformed have been trying to “keep us safe” from marijuana when it could actually help us. However, I am by no means encouraging people to do it. They should be able to do it if they please, instead of having to sneak around.
So, again, I ask, how is marijuana so much worse than alcohol that anyone who does it is a disgrace to society?