World Of Weed

I’m getting more and more fed up with the media hype about the dangers of cannabis. Yes, we know that certain strains of high-strength weed can cause psychosis in certain people, and yes, it’s worrying that young people are wasting their educations, but what about the physical, psychological and social damage caused by alcohol? It’s pretty clear to most people that alcohol directly causes a number of very serious health and social problems, but no-one is trying to make it illegal. Why not? Because it wouldn’t work – that’s why not. It wouldn’t work because people would carry on taking it irresponsibly and the whole population would turn criminal overnight. So why can’t they apply this logic to cannabis use? Well, before I go off on some never-ending rant about the stupidity of our laws, here are a few ideas about the pros and cons of cannabis versus alcohol:

Cannabis

Pros

• Relaxes the mind
• Eases physical tension
• Excellent pain relief
• Can be helpful for creativity
• Can encourage conversation
• Makes you laugh
• Can improve concentration on some tasks
• Little or no hangover the next day
• Induces a high feeling, allowing friendly, non-confontational interaction
• Reduces any feelings of aggression
• It is not physically addictive
• Has never caused death

Cons

• Heavy use can cause psychosis in some people
• Causes lung damage and can lead to lung cancer
• Can lead to laziness
• Prolonged use can lead to psychological addiction

Alcohol

Pros

• Relaxes the mind
• Eases physical tension
• Strong pain relief
• Good social lubricant

Cons

• It is physically addictive
• Often leads to arguments and violence
• Domestic abuse is very closely linked with alcohol abuse
• It is linked to thousands of deaths (approx. 33,000 in 1997 according to one report)
• Induces a feeling of bravado, which means people are more likely to attempt things like driving when they are over the limit
• Drink-driving causes thousands of accidents per year (approx. 16,980 in 2004)
• Encourages regrettable behaviour, eg taking clothes off in public, dancing like a prat, making loud declarations of things you never meant to tell anyone, having sex with people you don’t fancy, talking rubbish in front of people you do fancy, singing to songs you can’t sing.
• Impairs judgement, physical co-ordination and reaction time
• Causes dehydration and severe hangovers
• Causes extensive brain damage
• Can cause kidney and liver damage
• Can cause heart disease and stomach illnesses
• Causes memory loss

I will continue to look into this and update this page with more information whenever I can. Any input or references would be most welcome.

I reckon that the balance will always tip in favour of cannabis over alcohol.

Check these links for more statistics and facts:
BBC News – Huge rise in alcohol-related deaths
BMA – Drinking and Driving
The Dangers of Cannabis
BBC News – Cannabis cancer risk played down
Staying Safe with Cannabis