Scientists continuously research on the health benefits and risks of marijuana. And in relation to the consumption of alcohol, cigarettes, cocaine, heroine, or even sugar, results show that it poses the least risk and is the most beneficial to health.While this is not what the federal government wants to hear, past studies has shown that marijuana is the least risky and most healthy drug that could be consumed for recreational purposes.Nevertheless, it informs the need for the government to review regulations guiding the use of both recreational and medical marijuana.Scientific Reportscategorizesalcohol, cocaine, heroine, and nicotine as high risk substances while marijuana strains just falls into the risk category. Study results reveal that marijuana poses the lowest death risk, and is 114 times less deadly than alcohol. It is less deadly than any other drug.
Marijuana Vs Alcohol
“As has been well documented, I smoked pot as a kid, and I view it as a bad habit and a vice, not very different from the cigarettes that I smoked as a young person up through a big chunk of my adult life…I don’t think it is more dangerous than alcohol.” –Barack Obama.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), deaths that could be linked to marijuana use or overdose are very rare to come by, while alcohol has been documented to be associated with approximately 88,000 deaths annually. Alcohol has the potential of killing someone within a couple of hours. If your metabolism cannot process alcohol with the same rate at which it is consumed, an overload of alcohol in the brain may occur. Vital organs will shut down, resulting into fatal situations such as a heart attack or collapse of the respiratory organs.And these are short-tern health effects.
Marijuana impacts upon the cardiovascular system by increasing the rate of heartbeat and blood flow. But it seems just impossible to have a marijuana overdose.The long-term effects of alcohol are very severe. Excessive alcohol culminates to cause life-threatening diseases of vital organs. An alcohol abuser is at a high risk of developing a liver disease, which can progress with time and potentially lead to liver cancer.
Marijuana Vs Tobacco
In the U.S. alone, more than 400,000 people die yearly, with causes of death linked to tobacco use or abuse.Marijuana smoke does not have the same effects that tobacco has on the lungs. But is marijuana smoking as dangerous as cigarette smoking? Are there any health issues that can occur from inhaling second-hand marijuana smoke? These are important questions we must answer.
Tobacco smoke contains carcinogens. Carcinogens are molecules that damage cells and weakens the system against diseases such as cancer. Studies have not been able to find a connection between cannabis use and lung cancer.
A 2005 research shows that the carcinogenic levels of tobacco and marijuana are at extremes, with marijuana being on the lower side.Tobacco contains N-nitrosamines. N-nitrosamines is a catalyst for tobacco-related lung diseases. This chemical is completely absent in cannabis.Nicotine is present in cigarette smoke while marijuana contains cannabinoids.
Nicotine consumption significantly increases the risk of developing insulin resistance and type II diabetes.With current research, results show that the chemical compounds in cannabis can potentially treat insulin resistance and type II diabetes. The carcinogens in tobacco can also cause colon and rectal cancers. On the contrary, cannabinoid compounds in marijuana protects the body against tumor effect in breast, lung, prostate, and skin.
Marijuana Vs Sugar
Billions of people around the world use sugar daily. It is a sweeteningadditive to food and beverages. It is practically unavoidable. But while medical professionals would recommend an average of 100-150 calories from added sugar daily, people consume sugars contribute more than 500 calories.Sugar is a compound that contributes to the risk of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and digestive conditions. Sugar consumption is so dangerous to health that doctors would not advise anyone to consume sugary sodas.
In at least 10 millennia of human existence, there have been no proven facts that marijuana consumption leads to death or any of the diseases caused by excessive sugar intake.In a study conducted by American scientists, it was found that an individual would consume from 20,000 to 40,000 times the amount of THC in a single joint to be at the risk of dying from cannabis intake.In fact, cannabis consumption has been linked to better blood sugar control.
Out of all the vices anyone could possibly engaging in, marijuana consumption appears to be the least risky in terms of health. It has health benefits that other drugs or abused substances don’t have. It is an alternative treatment for a broad spectrum of diseases, including life-threatening conditions, andeven minimal intake can make significant difference
