One likely reason for the growing public aversion to drinking is the rise of the sober-curious movement. Celebrities like Bella Hadid, Blake Lively and Katy Perry have founded non-alcoholic beverage brands and championed the concept of sober social lifestyles that epitomize health over hedonism. Public health researchers have said studying rates of injuries, accidents, mental illness and teen use in the wake of the new laws will lead to a better understanding of marijuana’s public health effects.

In states where marijuana is legal, beverages infused with THC or CBD are sold –– here’s what to know.

1. While alcohol remains the most-used drug in the US, daily cannabis use has actually outpaced daily drinking, according to a study following four decades of consumption trends.
2. Scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder conducted a review of existing imaging data that looked at the effects of alcohol and marijuana, or cannabis, on the brain.
3. Over time, it can temporarily decrease the prevalence of CB1 receptors which can cause memory issues but, overall, the compounds in cannabis including many of the terpenes can be neuroprotective.
4. Another person might not have any issues with misusing alcohol but still find it hard to function without weed.
5. Our goal was to give patients easy access to medical cannabis as an alternative to traditional pain medications, antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, and other addictive and harmful drugs.

In 2022, an estimated 17.7 million people used marijuana daily or near-daily compared to 14.7 million daily or near-daily drinkers, according to the study. From 1992 to 2022, the per capita rate of reporting daily or near-daily marijuana use increased 15-fold. Both weed and alcohol, together and on their own, are also potentially addictive and can lead to dependence and misuse. Still, there’s some evidence to suggest that regularly combining alcohol and weed may have some concerning effects over time.

Does Alcohol Increase Dopamine?

If you want to seek out medical marijuana for a specific condition consider finding a doctor with Green Health Docs. Getting a medical marijuana card can ensure that you have access to regulated medical marijuana simply and easily. That being said, alcohol still faces all of the same aforementioned tolls on your health and risks of addiction. Additionally, compounds in cannabis can help prevent some diseases, stunt oxidative damage, and can also help prevent major conditions. Some compounds in cannabis have been found to be anticancer, antibiotic, and antifungal. There are some potential cardiovascular benefits with light-to-moderate use like 1-2 glasses of wine per day.

A few drugs are enormously dangerous in the short-term but not the long-term (heroin), or vice versa (tobacco). Similar to drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana results in intoxication and users report feelings of happiness, confusion, relaxation, impulsiveness and hunger. The research on other health effects of marijuana is inconclusive but should warrant some caution. One study linked the use of potent marijuana to psychotic disorders, but other studies suggest people with psychotic disorders may be predisposed to pot use. Research on whether smoked marijuana causes lung disease or cancer has yielded conflicting results, with studies that control for tobacco smoking finding no significant effect from marijuana on lung cancer risk.

Both can also leave you feeling a bit worse for wear the next day, though this is more likely to happen with alcohol. While being intoxicated with weed feels different than being intoxicated with alcohol, the two have roughly the same effect on your cognitive abilities, reflexes, and judgment. If you do get hungover, you might experience other effects, including headaches and diarrhea. For example, one person may have a very low tolerance for weed but be able to tolerate alcohol well.

Global burden of disease and injury and economic cost attributable to alcohol use and alcohol-use disorders

Additionally, there is evidence marijuana can worsen psychiatric issues for people who are predisposed to them, or bring them on at a younger age. Finally, Baler said, because the drug is typically smoked, it can bring on bronchitis, coughing and chronic inflammation of the air passages. Many cannabis-infused drinks list THC as an ingredient, and while there is no standard dose, 5 milligrams (mg) is typically used in research studies of the drug. Some “low-dose” beverages contain 2 to 4 mg of THC in an 8-ounce container. The drinks may also contain caffeine, alcohol, or other substances. Alcohol is everywhere yet we are well aware of the risks and dangers of alcohol use and abuse.

The idea is lawmakers could look at this model to help decide on an individual basis which policies are better for each drug. The question policy experts typically ask isn’t which drug is more dangerous, but how marijuana and alcohol should be treated through policy as individual drugs with their own set of unique, complicated risks. That doesn’t mean just legalization or prohibition, but regulation, taxes, and education as well.

Of course, the way you feel when you’re intoxicated also depends on how much of the substance you consume. There are countless cannabis products on the market and a number of consumption options, from vaping to edibles. Sure, research on the topic is ramping up a bit, but there’s still a lack of large, long-term studies. Before getting into comparing alcohol and weed, it’s important to understand some of the factors that make the comparison tricky. There’s also some divergence within the specific categories of harm.

While both are intoxicants used recreationally, their legality, patterns of use and long-term effects on the body make the two drugs difficult to compare. One of the main negative issues of weed vs. alcohol is all of the issues with smoking marijuana. Edibles cut down on one of the major issues with cannabis because they don’t require smoking and eliminate many of these risks. It’s possible to develop an emotional and/or physical dependence on both substances. As with the short-term effects of alcohol and weed, the long-term effects differ from person to person. The short-term effects of weed and alcohol differ from person to person.

They may weaken the effectiveness of your medication or increase your risk for certain side effects. But if you do decide to mix the two, start slow and keep track of how much you’re consuming of each. Weed appeared to tommy lee sober slow down the rise of blood alcohol levels after consuming a high dose of alcohol. For example, a 1992 study had 15 participants smoke a placebo, a high dose of THC, or a low dose of THC on three occasions.