Which is worse: Marijuana or Alcohol? And in what ways?

1. 61

   mikemaldonadoposted 11 years ago

   Which is worse: Marijuana or Alcohol? And in what ways?

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2. 40

   ChristinSposted 11 years ago

   alcohol by far.  It is far more addicting and many people who drink to excess become violent and mean.  Those who only smoke a little pot tend to be very mellow.  Granted, they sometimes get so mellow they become very unmotivated over time, but I'll deal with that over a raging alcoholic any day personally.

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      Larry Wallposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Would you want your child's teacher getting "mellow" before trying to teach an algebra class or explain the nuances of a Charles Dickens novel.

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      ChristinSposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      What a ridiculous question Larry - I didn't say I would "want" either one - the question was which is worse.  I have lived with raging alcoholics - I would choose "neither" but of the two, trust me a person who uses marijuana is much more agreeable

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      Larry Wallposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I sorry you found my question ridiculous--the point is how are you going to know when your teacher, accountant or doctor took few hits to get in a mellow mode. You can smell alcohol on  person's breath. Marijuana use is easier to hide.

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      eternals3ptemberposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      No, it's pretty easy to spot a stoner

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   5. 65

      Sheepsquatchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      There are people who can function close to their normal state on marijuana to the point it is not perceivable.

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   6. 61

      nightwork4posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      larry i take it you don't know anyone who smokes pot because if you did you would realize that they could easily smoke a joint and still function well.that's a fact

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      Larry Wallposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I had a good friend who used Pot. He then went to his wife's tranquilizers with the pot and added beer to the mix and an think for a short time use coke. He got cleaned up, but his life was a wreck for several years.I have other examples.

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3. 61

   nightwork4posted 11 years ago

   seriously, it's a no brainer. alcohol kills, marijuana doesn't. alcohol is highly addictive, marijuana isn't. alcohol causes many to become violent, marijuana doesn't. alcohol stops a person from thinking clearly, marijuana does the opposite.nuff said.

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   1. 0

      Larry Wallposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I would like to see some proof that marijuana does not stat a person from thinking clearly. Also, if made legal and the number of users increased significantly, that the impacts on society might be different.

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      nightwork4posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      i have smoked for over 30 years and i'm proof it helps with keeping your thinking clear. so what if the number of smokers increase, there is nothing wrong with it

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4. 60

   DeanCashposted 11 years ago

   Both were worse. A lot of people are saying that alcohol is good if taken moderately but somehow moderation can be violated and real problems follows. Studies have shown that marijuana have good uses but like alcohol it is likely to be abuse.

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5. 69

   daskittlez69posted 11 years ago

   I do not smoke.  But I would say that alcohol should be illegal before pot is.

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      Larry Wallposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I do not smoke either. I have wine with meals about twice a week,an occasional beer with Pizza. I am not saying that pot could not be legalized and used responsibly. I am saying that too many assumptions are being made at the present time.

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6. 82

   Seeker7posted 11 years ago

   Both in excess are dangerous and in limited amounts harmless. There are also some good reasons to think both can be benefical to a number of people. But overall I would definately say that alcohol is worse - not only the physical and mental dangers are greater, but the social and behaviour costs to society (including loss of life) are huge. Marijuana to my knowledge can be harmful in excess of course, but usually only to the person taking it. In addition, this drug tends to chill people out and make them more friendly rather than aggressive or violent.

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      Larry Wallposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I repeat my earlier comment. I am not convince that pot users only chill out. Some do stupid things and we do not know how pot is going to react with some prescription medications--including those for anxiety and depression.

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      Sheepsquatchposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I have been around many people using marijuana and people using alcohol. I have never seen a bad reaction to marijuana like what alcohol can do. There are basic over-the-counter drugs you wouldn't want to mix together or mix with alcohol.

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   3. 82

      Seeker7posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Larry, you've made a valid point,yes pot can cause adverse reactions in some. However so does alcohol, yet booze is legal pot isn't? All I can say is that as a nurse I've seen much more heartbreak/death/violence due to drink than pot.

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   4. 0

      Larry Wallposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Seeker7:
      Booze is legal--but it is regulated. Pot may be legal someday--but it will be regulated. Alcohol use is higher because it is legal and socially acceptable. If Pot use increases and earns social acceptance, we may see more problems.

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   5. 82

      Seeker7posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Larry, if you look at countries such as Holland who have legal use of pot, they don't have any more issues than the rest of Europe. Some folks will always want/need a 'something' to use, recreationally or otherwise, whether it's legal or not

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7. 59

   MilesArmbrusterposted 11 years ago

   This is an odd question. On the one hand, marijuana is currently illegal most places I am familiar with. So on the basis of the law, marijuana is worse, although that is not a qualitative issue, merely one of legality. Whether that is right or wrong? I am not sure that this question is asking that.
   Comparing the use of alcohol and marijuana is difficult as well, we certainly see abuse of alcohol and the dangers involved. Since marijuana is illegal, it is difficult to compare what life would be like if people were using marijuana with the same freedom as alcohol. ChristinS seems to have some experience with pot, so I will use her evidence - pot makes people mellow. It seems to me that people driving their cars when "mellow" would be as dangerous as them driving while inebriated with alcohol. For me personally, at the end of the day, a couple of beers just puts me to sleep - I have never raged once. (My wife is the same way.) Either way, it seems that the physical and mental impairment of both would be dangerous in some circumstances and irrelevant at a party. The question of excessive use is another issue. So in terms of use, it seems a toss up.
   I have heard that marijuana is not addictive from people who support its legalization. From scientists and medical people the claim is that it is addictive, so I guess we need to get the users together with the doctors to come to a conclusion.
   The only thing I know for certain is that a person coming out of severe detox from alcohol can die. (It is the only addictive drug for which that is true.) Of course, marijuana could be lethal in the same way smoking is - after all, it is smoke.
   So: the tally is:
                           Alcohol:                   Marijuana
   Legality              legal                       illegal
   Usage        can be dangerous     can be dangerous
   Addictive       Yes, for many          debated, by many
   lethal               possible                     possible
   
   My conclusion - as it stands in 2012, I will go enjoy a nice legal beer in moderation.

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   1. 61

      mikemaldonadoposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      No sure why this received an inferior vote. This is great insight. I left the question so broad to get different views. Again, awesome insight.

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      Larry Wallposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I concur with your statements and agree you did not deserve a negative vote.

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      ChristinSposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      The question was which is worse? not who should drive intoxicated.  I don't smoke personally, but I know those who do and they don't rage & become dangerous the way my former and now dead alcoholic family members did. Alcoholism is an UGLY thing.

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   Sheepsquatchposted 11 years ago

   I can easily see someone coming to the opinion that marijuana is bad for a person and that it should be illegal. I can't see why someone would believe alcohol is better than marijuana. If I had to be addicted to one or the other, I would rather it be marijuana. (I am not saying that marijuana is addictive. I don't know if it is or not.) If I had to get into a vehicle with someone who was either high on marijuana or drunk I would choose the person who was high. If I had to choose between having the affects of alcohol abuse or marijuana abuse, I would choose marijuana. Things need to be done in moderation. Anything done too much can be bad for you. From any experience that I have had or seen though, alcohol in excess has always been much worse than marijuana.

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9. 63

   Ralph Deedsposted 11 years ago

   Larry Wall, when I grew up in Baton Rouge (1950s) we could and did buy mixed alcoholic drinks (Jack Daniels and Coca Cola was the favorite) at drive-ins without anybody asking for I.D. If you were old enough to drive (16, as I recall) you were old enough to buy alcohol just about anywhere in Baton Rouge or New Orleans without ever being asked for I.D. It's a wonder we didn't kill ourselves. Fortunately, nobody that I know did. Current marijuana legislation is creating chaos and undesirable effects. States are legalizing it for medical purposes at least, and the DEA is prosecuting people for violating the federal law in defiance of President Obama's suggestion that discretion should be used in deploying their resources, emphasizing more serious violations--meth, heroin, cocaine with the result that many people are being imprisoned and stigmatized for minor drug offenses. I'm convinced that legalizing and controlling marijuana would be a step in the right direction. Many people would be satisfied with using this relatively mild drug--not as an entry level drug as you are claiming.

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      Larry Wallposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      We are not that far apart. I am saying it could be an entry drug and not that everyone would move on to stronger stuff. I am also saying as you did if legalized, it would be controlled. That is going to create an illegal underground market for it.

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10. 77

    Cobrafanposted 10 years ago

    Alcohol is obviously the worst of the two. They can both kill via cancer but the overdose of marijuana is so insane that you would die from a lack of oxygen before you ever manage to get enough THC in your system to kill you. Unlike alcohol which can kill you far more easily. Not to mention marijuana is currently costing tax payers a ton of money to house non-violent offenders in prisons when it could be legalized and instead be making the government billions of dollars in taxes.

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11. 57

    cathyaddams567posted 10 years ago

    I think both are dangerous in our health. It is b=never advisable to take both in excess. Visit http://abusetreatmentcenters.net/ to know the negative effect of those.

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