Think Before You Drink - Alcohol Is Damaging Your Brain, NOT Cannabis
Think about that next drink
Alcohol is legal, so what harm could it do? Actually, a lot of harm is done and we all know it. The government has our health in their best interest though, right? Now that we've shared a good laugh, I'd like to share some interesting information.
Cannabis vs. Alcohol - Which is destroying your brain Faster?
"Alcohol use severity is associated with widespread lower gray matter volume and white matter integrity in adults, and with lower gray matter volume in adolescents," they concluded. By contrast, "No associations were observed between structural measures and past 30-day cannabis use in adults or adolescents." Source: Norml.org
There's so much more to discover about cannabis usage on human health, but we have plenty of scientific data to work with when it comes to alcohol. Unequivocal data. Yet this data is something our society ignores because the government gave us the 'go ahead' on alcohol consumption.
Cannabis can't kill you, but your doctor can
Cannabis has yet to kill a single human being in all of documented history. Even after the average potency of cannabis has risen exponentially in the last two decades. Pharmaceuticals kill people every 19 minutes in the United States. And thanks to alcohol & pharmaceuticals you don't even need to drink to become a statistic. Innocent people make up a large portion of those tragic deaths.In 2014, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities accounted for 9,967 deaths (31 percent of overall driving fatalities). source
We do not know everything, but we know enough
Many cannabis users are aware that their choice to consume the plant puts them at more legal risks, than health risks. The legal risks land you in a box, alive, but caged like alongside violent offenders. The health risks won't kill you. The legal consequences, depending on where you live, won't kill you; just screw up your life.
Remember if you can
It might not be that joint you smoked in the 70's that is clouding your mind - it's probably the 3 beer bongs and that keg stand you did last Saturday night.
Alcohol changes your brain and anyone who's been drunk knows that it typically doesn't generate "bright ideas" - it's almost always "let's do stupid shit" ideas. I have scars to back that statement. I'm not going to sit atop this pedestal and preach to you. I'm getting down to grab a beer because it's Saturday! I'm no hypocrite, but my state legislation sucks. I'd trade this cold beer for some fine cannabis any day of the week.If you haven't already abused your brain too much today, feel free to browse these related articles, research, references:
• Study: Marijuana Use Not Associated With Previously Reported Changes In Brain Morphology - NORML.ORG • Daily Marijuana Use Is Not Associated with Brain Morphometric Measures in Adolescents or Adults - The Journal of Neuroscience • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism - Alcohol Facts and StatisticsModerate alcohol consumption as risk factor for adverse brain outcomes and cognitive decline: longitudinal cohort study
Conclusion
Advocate for what is right and let's educate ourselves with facts, not the propaganda that has failed so miserably to suppress such a wonderful gift to mankind.
The alternative is to eat what they feed us. We've been lead to believe that what is law is what is moral - this is a lie. Law is not justified by morality.
If the law says it's ok to consume something that ultimately is responsible for the deaths of human beings - what does your moral compass tell you?
It is time to end the era of misinformation that has kept this plant illegal.The world deserves truth. Let's change that together Steemians!! Everything, except truth, in moderation my friends!
This post is amazing! I can't say enough how cannabis is great for your health. I have seen and have heard so many success stories in where cannabis has helped. One day we will just sit back and laugh at the ridiculous laws that are in place for this industry.
Awesome article, I really love your way of thinking.
It's something the system dislikes and tries not to allow you to learn in the institutional schools;Critcal Thinking.
Excellent and well done; Thank you very much for showing and sharing .
You forgot some marijuana symptoms: Paranoia, hunger, easily-triggered sense of humor…
And get out of here with that "never killed anyone" stuff. If nothing else, you smoke enough of it, you're gonna get lung cancer just like with tobacco.
Marijuana isn't as bad as some think it is, no, but it's not the panacea others think it is either. (But no, it should not be prohibited.)
"Paranoia, hunger, easily-triggered sense of humor" symptoms? Paranoia like what Percocet does? The primary doctor prescribed pain killer after surgery, etc.? Or do you mean the paranoia and hallucination inducing nerve drugs they gave my wife? She was seeing people standing in our house watching her, a shadow in the corner, and a blood covered man standing next to the bed. Are those drugs okay because a doctor gave them?
I mean... wow, cannabis sounds absolutely horrible. Sheesh! /sarc
I'm not saying pot is worse than other drugs, especially synthetic ones. But the OP is entirely one-sided in regards to its effects.
Hunger and laughing easily are pretty horrible side effects. haha
The stuff literally saved my wife's life, so I'll admit I'm biased. She NEVER had paranoia from it either. I'm not sure where that side effect idea is coming from. Maybe people are getting it laced with something.
We are not enemies here either and are mostly on the same side. :) It's my meat sack, right? Let me do with it what I wish.
Do as you wish. My objection here is not about marijuana per se. It's about the OP's hagiographic presentation of it.
And I got the paranoia bit from family members who have done it and told me what it does to them, so yeah, maybe it doesn't happen for everyone. Never touched the stuff myself.
Actually it is Dr Tashkin who did a longterm studay and at one time he did beleive thier was lasting damage becasue the effects were immediatly shown after smoking the Cannabis. After this largest longest study done was completed Smoking Marijuana Not Linked with Lung Damage for Cannabis users.
It also showed a preventative measure against Cancers for even longterm smokers more than those who do not smoke at all.
http://healthland.time.com/2012/01/10/study-smoking-marijuana-not-linked-with-lung-damage/
I'm sorry, but the mere idea that repetitively inhaling smoke of any sort, no matter what has been burned, could do no damage to lungs just fails the common sense test. With all due respect, I think you might be allowing your advocacy to blind you a little.
Could it be that smoking does cause damage, but that the anti-carcinogenic properties of marijuana effectively cancel out the effect?
@nocturnal, Cannabis consumption now includes oral/edible, smoked/combustion, and vaporizing. Many studies are being done at this time. Here's a recent study released just a month ago:
Study: Vaporization Offers Attractive Alternative to Smoked Cannabis
everything in moderation can be a good thing. Abusing good things can be bad.
Zero humans will die from cannabis this year, but 50k people or more will die this year from solely alcohol poisoning. Severe Cannabis "addicts" become moody when they don't use cannabis. Severe Alcoholics can't stop drinking or it will kill them. It is legal to consume alcohol and prescription pills that are prescribed, but in many cases abruptly stopping usage in those with dependency can kill them. Heroin addicts get sick from withdraw; alcohol is one of the only drugs that can kill a human from stopping use. But it's legal, so can't be that bad, right?
Government says cannabis is illegal and has no beneficial use; owns patent for use of non-psychoactive cannabinoids - see patent #6,630,507 on USPTO site 😎
I am all for people formulating their own opinions and I appreciate that we won't all agree. However, cannabis has not killed anyone in 10,000 years of use and there is not one shred of evidence that says otherwise. Not a single one. How long did it take the medical field to learn the adverse affects of alcohol abuse? Oh, that ALL happened after prohibition.. So not long. We can document deaths from alcohol because it actually causes death. The reason it has yet to be documented, even ONCE, for cannabis clearly shows that cannabis itself cannot kill you. I believe it has been found that it would take a human ingesting 1,500lbs of cannabis in 15 minutes to kill them. HA! Eat 100 lbs of McDonalds and that will kill you much faster.
We can agree to disagree, but I side with you in that it should not be prohibited. It is clearly and blatantly NOT prohibited in the best interest of our health; it's the best interest of their wallet. Why else would they buy the "land" to build on later? Thank you for contributing to the conversation / debate. It's a start 😉
Great article! I'm drinking mead today. Yes, I don't like drinking a lot, and I've seen first hand how high alcohol consumption caused memory and other problems in people close to me.
Resteemed!!!
Thanks @Finnian, you're a great friend! I prefer cannabis over alcohol to be honest. It unlocked many things inside my mind that allowed me to be who I am. Alcohol has caused a great deal of pain and detriment around me throughout my life as well. I've lost more friends to drunk driving than should ever be possible.
I think it's important to let the government know that they cannot make nature illegal. The government cannot control nature. If they did, nature would be just as broke and dysfunctional..
Enjoy your evening brother!!
Well-written article. I wasn't going to comment - but then I was like "nah, I gotta comment!"
I have used cannabis for most of my adult life. I went through a trauma at the end of high school, on top of being slightly introverted, which has affected my ability to concentrate or function well in highly chaotic situations. For many years I thought alcohol was the answer, but I made a lot of stupid ass decisions - always while drinking.
Today, I have a beer or coffee and Baileys, but the cannabis is the one thing I won't let go of. It helps me to concentrate, sort out the noise and be hyper productive. I won't even meet with clients unless I self-medicate because it helps me have the patience for Latin business culture, and slows my mind down enough to process what I am doing and saying (communicating for business in a second language is stressful - I don't care who you are).
It helps me regulate my stress and emotions. Sometimes just the act of stepping outside for a smoke or even some Tai Chi - is stress relieving.
People need to realize that Cannabis is so healing to us, not just physically - but mentally. It was created for stressed out people - or people who worry too much. I find that most people who have bad reactions need to go back and check what they are buying, and how they are using it.
Thank you for sharing @openmindedtravel, it really helps to hear someone can benefit from responsible use of cannabis. I feel that many are stuck on the notion that we just want to be "high" and that we are wrong for that. Says the same people eating 2 or 3 Xanax pills and drinking a box of wine every night because they are "stressed" and wish to "unwind". Sure that cocktail combo kills famous celebrities and athletes, but it's legal.
Since when is 'legal' the equivalent to 'righteous'?
I firmly believe that there are many, many productive cannabis users that remain under the radar. People are scared to share that side out of fear; fear of judgement and all types of recourse. Fortunately, the tidal wave of truth is coming and there will be no need to run and hide much longer. Our society is functioning today with many whom are greatly impaired from using alcohol and prescription pills - corporate data shows the costs of this problem that our society stubbornly refuses to acknowledge. Machine operators are going to work high on legal prescriptions, doctors, lawyers, and street dwellers alike. People consume prescription pills without prescriptions every single day. They can do this because there are legal drug dealers functioning under the guise of a Healthcare practitioner - essentially practicing only the art of selling drugs, rather than medicine.
I am all for anything that makes you, I, or anyone else feel better about themselves and allow them to function at a higher level in life. No one can sway me against the positive benefits of cannabis because I've experienced it for myself. Relieved of a drug called Zoloft, I was able to balance myself and distance myself from a drug that made me feel suicidal. That was 20 years ago, at age 12. I maintained a 4.0 gpa in college - consumed cannabis every single day before class. I was able to concentrate and create - something that many of my peers had great trouble doing. Ironically, many of them drank heavily and were on medications like Adderall - a legal, and GREATLY ABUSED Amphetamine!!! I feel absolutely no guilt in saying that I have consumed cannabis for many years and also refuse to give it up to anyone.
Thank you so much for sharing your insight @openmindedtravel, I am happy that you decided to!
Well said! I look forward to following future content from you!
Not a weed-user myself -- I don't like how it makes me feel -- but I know many science-types who would wholeheartedly agree with your post. Nonetheless, there are some noted adverse side effects associated with heavy use, such as a bad memory. The beauty of the hippocampus, however, is that it's constantly generating new neurons, so the problem is short-term.
To each is own @eatpraysex, feeling good is what's important. If it makes you feel like you shouldn't use it, you probably shouldn't. However, there are some medical conditions that cannabis brings relief to those suffering from illness - if cannabis makes them feel better then they should use it. I also believe it should be up to the individual whether they consume the plant or not. I appreciate you joining the discussion and sharing some further insight.
It has been shown that cannabis use affects memory only during time of intoxication. So, that is really short term! I do not believe (readers please correct me if I'm wrong) there has been any concrete evidence to substantiate any claim that cannabis use has negative long-term impact on the human brain. Our brains are wired with CB1&2 receptors - the human brain and body is virtually built for the intake of cannabinoids.
If it only affects us during the time of intoxication - and we remain intoxicated most of the day - then I suppose that might truly impact ones ability to remember. 😆 - everything in moderation can be a good thing. Abusing good things can be bad.
I definitely agree that marijuana has legitimate medical uses, some of which probably have yet to be discovered.
If the data supports your statement on no adverse side effects, by all means stick with the facts. (And I mean that in a completely non-sarcastic way.) I'm only positing the short-term side effects based on anecdotal evidence with former heavy users of marijuana.
However, in researching this reply to your comment, I came across this article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/02/01/what-happens-when-you-get-stoned-every-single-day-for-five-years/?utm_term=.75760cdb1792. What do you make of it?
Interesting article @eatpraysex. I think a huge problem we have is that these studies take into account less than a fraction of 1% of cannabis users. 3,400 people of 50 million...That's like saying "I know 10 alcoholics and They are all the same as the rest."
I find the research remarkable - mainly because I used cannabis for 10 years immediately before I attended college, so 10 weed years according to the article - I went to college 7 years after highschool. I maintained a 4.0 GPA every semester I attended college and was doing better on tests than kids fresh out of 13 straight years of school environment. I have to say that I totally disagree with the "findings" of this article. There are factors that are ignored and that, in my opinion, negates the results. Did they test each individual in that study for depression, anxiety, stress and the environmental stressors in each of their lives? I think there are far more factors that cause memory loss and stress is known to be a debilitating disorder along with depression. Do they account for alcohol use by any chance? We have unequivocal data that shows it has harmful affects on the brain and cognitive function. I think there is too much rush to show results and not enough study and common sense used by society in deciphering this info or "data". I'm not saying there are no adverse affects to cannabis use, but I am saying I've yet to see them for myself, nor has anyone proven to them to me. I have used cannabis heavily, at times, and nearly every day for a span of 10 years or more. Totaling 20 of my 32 years on this planet. Give me that memory test..
Were these people studied ever asked about what they do every day? Where they work? Where they live? Their income and level of education? Were there baselines set for each individual for brain activity and normal cognitive function? Who's to say the "heavy users" we're unable to recall /memorize because of cannabis? It would irresponsible to say with any certainty. The science and data is great, but it is all trying to prove a hypothesis, rather than scientifically establishing credible research. Even the references that I listed are slanted in some way, and not to mention many are "paid for" studies.
It sure does make it hard on those that care to know the truth. Whether we use it or not, educating ourselves can't hurt. Unless, of course, we are trading one bag'o'bullshit for another.
I believe that everything causes us some harm - oxygen, water, food, emotions, environment, and the lesser mentioned: the mental health disorders that we still have yet to fully unravel. Hopefully, these factors are taken into account, in the interest of science. Otherwise, there is no merit to that kind of "science". Of 100,000,000 adults in this country that have used cannabis - why is the science so hard to find? Universities have been growing cannabis for decades and studying it, so it begs the question..
Edit: I saw this link in that article and had a good laugh - https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/01/18/scientists-have-found-that-smoking-weed-does-not-make-you-stupid-after-all/?tid=a_inl&utm_term=.83f6a181cfc5 it actually speaks to much of what I just mentioned:
I appreciate you taking the time to write such a well-thought-out response. I asked a sincere question, and you gave a sincere answer. In fact, I think you should take this comment and rework it into another post -- it definitely caused me to question my assumptions. And you are absolutely right, mental illness could definitely be the cause of memory loss and simply be concurrent to (or even a reason for) heavy cannabis use.
I truly appreciate you taking part in the discussion @eatpraysex. Thanks for sharing the article and reading the tidal wave of text 😋
It is a discussion I feel is worth the time and I appreciate yours, thanks again!
In the article you shared, there was a link that mentioned a few factors that had, but also some I'd never considered. If I rework the article, you'd have to get half the proceeds!
Well said.. :-)
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