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Rutland Area Prevention Coalition |
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Mobilizing the community in the prevention of substance abuse through education and promotion of healthy lifestyle choices. |
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Alcohol & Substance Abuse Articles |
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Winter, 2009
Alcohol vs. Marijuana
Is one safer than the other?
Not really. They both can result in dependency that requires professional treatment. We do know that alcohol contributes to liver disease, but some studies also suggest that a small amount of alcohol (i.e., one glass of red wine a day) can benefit your heart. Experts believe that marijuana smoking can result in oral cancers and short-term thinking problems. Though smoking anything is never good for your lungs, we know that it can reduce nausea for people with medical conditions like cancer. Even occasional users of alcohol and marijuana may experience negative consequences – such as the risks that come with lowered inhibitions, short-term memory problems, and coordination difficulties. And both alcohol and marijuana are thought to contribute to (or intensify) mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety. One major difference worth noting, besides legality, is that it is possible to overdose on alcohol, which can be fatal. And withdrawal from alcohol is more serious medically (can kill you) than withdrawal from marijuana. Plus, because marijuana is an anti-emetic (inhibits vomiting), if taken in combination with alcohol, it can prevent the body’s natural tendency to purge a toxin from the stomach.
Whether you buy it yourself, or someone hands you the joint, the marijuana you're smoking may not be pure. It may be laced with PCP, pesticides, LSD, crack, or even embalming fluid! It’s not just what’s in the blunt or bong that’s a problem. Getting high is risky in a lot of ways — and not just medically. Intoxication compromises mental functioning in the short term by affecting memory and learning. Motor coordination and perception of sights, sounds, time, and touch are affected, which can cause car accidents and (let’s face it) sexual problems. Lowered inhibitions can result in STDs and relationship problems. And you can also get a nasty chronic cough and mess up your respiratory and immune systems. Put this in your pipe and smoke it. Just because it's natural doesn't mean it's harmless. After all, heroin comes from poppies and cocaine comes from coca leaves. Marijuana is not just a harmless weed. True, the laws in some states permit the use of marijuana for medical purposes. That is because THC — the active ingredient — is so powerful that it can help treat the symptoms of glaucoma and reduce nausea in patients with HIV/AIDS or cancer. However, under U.S. law, it is a Schedule I Controlled Substance that is not widely accepted for medical use. When doctors prescribe "Marinol" (the pill form of THC), they have decided that the benefits of THC outweigh the risks in these cases. What kind of risks? How about gynomastia (“man boobs”), weight gain, sterility, decreased aerobic functioning, and panic or anxiety attacks? Or a lack of motivation to do everyday tasks, like writing papers and studying for exams. Stronger than Ever
Marijuana is even riskier today because so much of the marijuana on the market is grown indoors and bred for specific qualities, like potency. This means that most of the marijuana that students smoke today is much stronger than it was for their parents’ generation. The average THC level rose from less than 1% in the late 1970s to more than 7% in 2001.
Marijuana Hangovers
Marijuana “hangovers” can last for a few days, and the fog generally includes problems with alertness, coordination, depth perception (not good for driving), and a distorted sense of time. Because the THC in marijuana is absorbed into the fatty tissue in the body’s organs, it takes your body a while to metabolize it. This means that if you have a drug test even up to four weeks after using, the results may show up dirty. More sophisticated blood or hair tests can detect marijuana months after use. This is extra tricky because random drug testing is on the rise in schools and in the workplace. Buds and Wheels Did you ever consider how the effects of marijuana might impair your ability to drive? Did you ever think about what distorted perception, slowed-down reaction time, and lethargy might mean if you had to brake suddenly? Some people think that it’s not a problem to drive a car when they're stoned. Some even believe that they can operate a motor vehicle more safely than when they are sober. By now, most people know that drunk driving is bad. But did you know that almost 1 in 4 car crashes involve drugs? And marijuana is not like alcohol. Instead of the impairment decreasing over time, it actually increases for up to 21 hours after use, regardless of amount. School Rules Do you know your school’s drug policy? Some schools expel students for a single drug offense; others defer to local police. Many administrations will notify parents if a student is found using or selling. Another reality is the possibility of losing access to grants and loans. Marijuana Is Addictive Marijuana is widely thought to be less harmful than other drugs, mostly because people incorrectly believe that it is not addictive. But guess what – more than 100,000 Americans a year seek out drug treatment specifically because of their dependence on marijuana. Physical vs. psychological addiction: Use of any drug can lead to dependence — marijuana too! People always seem relieved to hear that a substance "just" leads to psychological dependence, or has only minimal physical withdrawal symptoms. But the fact is, addiction experts today no longer distinguish between psychological and physical dependence. What matters is whether or not a drug causes un-controllable, compulsive drug seeking and use, even in the face of negative health and social consequences. This "drug hunger" at the core of all addiction is much more difficult to control than physical symptoms, many of which can be medically managed. “Jonesing”: Craving for marijuana doesn’t look like craving for other drugs. But just because a user doesn’t resort to violence doesn’t make it any less real. It is more subtle, but no less destructive. Effects of addiction: At first, it can be hard to detect the effects of marijuana use on a person’s life. But with continued use, the drug starts to take on a special importance. Many long-time users report that after a while, their use of marijuana started to undermine their emotional and psychological growth. It became harder for them to handle stress, and they lagged behind their peers in terms of emotional maturity. Withdrawal: Members of Marijuana Anonymous say that by far, their most common experience when stopping use was insomnia, sometimes lasting as long as a few months. Other common symptoms included depression, nightmares, and vivid dreams. Anger is also common for people who are cutting marijuana out of their life. For some, this plays out as a slow-burning rage. Others report feeling constantly irritable or prone to sudden bursts of anger. When to Intervene Chances are if your friend is using marijuana too frequently, you already know it. For better or for worse, using marijuana is not really considered a problem, so even heavy users are not very secretive. If your friend is using a lot, you may want to suggest cutting back. Your friend may refuse or just let out an amused chuckle, but you can ask your friend to take some time to think about it. If cutting back is not so easy, you may want to suggest an assessment (when a professional counselor or doctor talks to a person about their drug use to determine whether or not there is a problem). Don’t just blow it off, or think it is no big deal. If you are concerned, there is probably a good reason for feeling that way. Trust your gut!
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