Is Alcohol Or Cannabis Worse For Your Body?

Alcohol and cannabis (also called marijuana) are among the most popular drugs in the world. Both substances impact your physical and mental functioning.

As cannabis becomes legal in more states, many Americans are wondering whether it’s more or less harmful than alcohol. The answer is complicated.

Is Alcohol Or Cannabis Worse For Your Body?

Current studies suggest that cannabis poses fewer health risks than alcohol.

In particular, it’s less likely to cause overdose and addiction. It’s also less likely to contribute to aggressive or violent behavior.

However, both alcohol and cannabis can have dangerous health effects.

Cannabis Products Are Getting Stronger

In recent years, cannabis products have become much more powerful than they used to be. That’s because they contain higher concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.

THC is the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. In other words, it’s the ingredient that makes you feel high.

According to one study, the average amount of THC in cannabis products nearly doubled between 2008 and 2017, rising from 9% to 17%. Researchers have not yet determined how these higher concentrations of THC could affect your health over time.

Both Substances Affect People Differently

In addition, the effects of both alcohol and cannabis can vary from person to person. For instance, one person might tolerate alcohol well but have extreme sensitivity to the effects of cannabis. Another person may have the opposite experience.

Thus, while current research indicates that cannabis is safer than alcohol in some ways, it’s important to understand the risks of both substances.

Risks Of Alcohol

Drinking alcohol can have a number of unpleasant effects, including:

• drowsiness
• restlessness
• nausea and vomiting
• poor judgment
• trouble concentrating
• impaired coordination
• poor sleep quality
• dehydration

In addition, after drinking a lot of alcohol, you may experience hangover symptoms such as fatigue, headache, and sensitivity to light or sound.

Binge Drinking & Heavy Drinking

Alcohol can also have more serious effects, especially if you drink excessively. The most common types of excessive drinking are binge drinking and heavy drinking.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), binge drinking occurs when a woman has 4 or more drinks in about 2 hours and a man has 5 or more drinks in about 2 hours. Heavy drinking occurs when a woman has more than 8 drinks per week and a man has more than 14 drinks per week.

These types of excessive drinking pose short-term and long-term health risks.

Short-Term Risks

The most common short-term risks of alcohol abuse include:

• injuries from car crashes, drownings, falls, or other accidents
• violent behaviors, including homicide, suicide, and sexual assault
• risky sexual behaviors (such as unprotected sex with multiple partners), which can lead to sexually transmitted diseases or unwanted pregnancies
• alcohol poisoning (also called alcohol overdose)

Long-Term Risks

The most common long-term risks of alcohol abuse include:

• high blood pressure
• heart disease and heart attack
• stroke
• liver disease
• cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, voice box, breast, liver, colon, and rectum
• digestive problems
• mental health problems, including depression and anxiety
• memory problems, including dementia
• birth defects, miscarriage, or stillbirth if you drink alcohol while pregnant
• weakened immune system, which makes you more likely to develop various infections
• alcohol use disorder (also called alcohol addiction), which makes you feel unable to control your alcohol consumption

Risks Of Cannabis

Like alcohol, cannabis can cause drowsiness, nausea, poor judgment, and impaired coordination. Also, as with alcohol, the drug’s impact on judgment and coordination can lead to car crashes and other accidents.

Other negative effects of marijuana use may include dry mouth, dry eyes, and anxiety.

Psychosis & Mental Health Issues

In addition, people who use cannabis often or at high doses face a greater risk of psychosis. Psychosis is a temporary loss of connection with reality.

Common symptoms include:

• intense anxiety
• paranoia
• hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or feeling things that aren’t there)
• delusions (holding beliefs that conflict with reality)

Similarly, cannabis may worsen symptoms of schizophrenia, a mental health condition that can cause frequent episodes of psychosis. Some studies have also linked cannabis to depression, social anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.

Health Risks

Other health risks of frequent cannabis use may include:

• cough, phlegm, and bronchitis (from smoking or vaping cannabis)
• fast heart rate and high blood pressure, which may increase your risk of cardiovascular diseases like
• heart disease and stroke
• poor brain development (if you start using the drug before age 18)
• cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), a condition that causes repeated episodes of severe
• nausea, vomiting, and dehydration

Cannabis Use Disorder

Finally, some people who frequently use cannabis develop cannabis use disorder (also called cannabis addiction). This disease makes you feel unable to stop using cannabis.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), common symptoms include:

• strong cravings for cannabis
• tolerance (needing increasingly larger or more frequent amounts of cannabis to feel high)
• physical dependence (experiencing withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety and irritability, when you don’t use cannabis)

Like other substance use disorders, this disease requires professional treatment.

Find Addiction Treatment Today

If you or someone you love struggles with alcohol or cannabis, please contact a Recovering Champions specialist. Our substance abuse treatment providers offer behavioral therapy, medication-assisted treatment, and other forms of personalized, evidence-based care.