Let’s tear in to one of the hottest topics in the US today…. marijuana. There are a ton of facets on this topic, but none clearer to me than it’s health concerns vs. alcohol.
I cannot reconcile how a drug like alcohol with all of it’s addictiveness, health concerns, death & damage to humans worldwide is LEGAL! Marijuana however, born of the earth, essentially non-addictive, happy drug is ILLEGAL (generally speaking).
Let’s get in to it:
- Women drinking alcohol during pregnancy caused an increased occurrence of birth defects, miscarriage, stillbirth & fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) & Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
- Alcohol is a leading preventable cause of cancer, linked to at least seven types (breast, liver, colon, esophagus, prostate cancer, etc.) in men, liver cancer from alcohol use causes the most deaths
- Alcohol breaks down into acetaldehyde, damaging DNA, causing inflammation and increasing carcinogen absorption (like if you smoke as well!)
- Alcohol induces oxidative stress which damages DNA, proteins & cells increasing inflamation
- Alcohol changes hormone levels for many hormones including estrogen, causing an increased risk of breast cancer
- Your liver can only process small amounts of alcohol, overages of alcohol will harm your liver and other organs as it moves through the body (FACT)
- Impaired, DUI, machinery & environmental accidents & deaths
- Alcohol is a significant factor in violence, contributing to roughly 40% of all violent crimes
- Alcohol reduces inhibitions, impairs decision-making, and heightens aggressive responses
- Alcohol overuse can lead to sexually transmitted infections or unplanned pregnancies
- Regular alcohol use lowers the effectiveness of your immune system
- Alcohol can lead to a quicker decrease in mental functioning
- Alcohol causes erectile dysfunction in men & fertility problems in any person
- Excessive alcohol use can lead to many chronic diseases & issues such as : Alcoholism, high blood pressure, heart disease, liver disease, stroke, digestive diseases, depression, anxiety, memory & learning problems, family & relationship issues & cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and other alcohol-related liver diseases
To be fair, using marijuana is NOT without risks.
- Marijuana also causes impaired driving/cognition
- Increased occurrence of mental health issues with marijuana use such as: anxiety, psychosis, depression
- Lung damage (from smoking)
- Heart problems (increased rate/stroke)
- Cannabis Use Disorder
- Marijuana causes especially concerning harm to developing brains such as teens/womb exposure during pregnancy
- Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome (severe vomiting)
Caution must be taken with the use of any cannabis to avoid use during pregnancy/breastfeeding, keep it away from children and do not operate machinery, drive or take part in dangerous actions while under the influence. It’s also fair to say the gummies, diamonds, drops & other synthetic HIGH THC methods of use are grievously more dangerous!
(2014) report that the lethal half dose (LD50) for THC in humans is estimated to be around 30 mg/kg. This means that approximately 2 grams (.07 ounces) of pure THC has a 50% chance of killing a 150 pound man.
How Toxic is Cannabis Really?
Concentrated & synthetic THC derivatives such as wax, dabs, butane hash oil, diamonds & gummies can contain up to 99% THC are now available! One tenth of an ounce of these would contain a lethal half dose of 2 grams of THC.
Many of these non-traditional methods of using cannabis are not only dangerous for the user, but present a very real danger to children. Edible THC products are a HUGE concern because they often look like regular food or candy that children might like to eat. When a child ingests any amount of THC, it can be harmful and potentially life-threatening. It is at the very least a medical emergency. Keep your treats locked up!
If a child consumes any amount of THC, you should call a medical professional or the Poison Control Center hotline immediately at 1-800-222-1222.
Can any reasonable adult explain how alcohol is freely available without ANY real restrictions except for age, but weed is illegal? It cannot be explained because the War on Drugs has the whole world jaded!
To get to legalization, we need to overcome the stigma associated with marijuana. It’s really just another cake we’ve been fed by the government… Meant to make other industries like alcohol thrive (good old boys fucking money).
The alcohol industry is & has been actively engaged in a self serving effort to influence weed policy. Know why? Intoxicating hemp-derived THC products are really the ONLY market competitor for them. The industry’s approach involves lobbying for federal intervention, with questionable motivation.
Major alcohol trade associations, including the Beer Institute, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), and Wine America, have lobbied Congress to “act immediately to remove hemp-derived THC products from the marketplace until a robust federal regulatory framework is established”. They argue these products are unregulated intoxicants and a public safety threat, especially to youth.
The United States has a LONG ASS history of poisoning us & allowing abusive market sects like tobacco, gas, alcohol, etc to use their $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ to influence OUR OWN government laws.
The Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) was entered on November 23rd, 1998, originally between the four largest United States tobacco companies (Philip Morris Inc., R. J. Reynolds, Brown & Williamson and Lorillard – the “original participating manufacturers”, referred to as the “Majors”) and the attorneys general of 46 states. The states settled their Medicaid lawsuits against the tobacco industry for recovery of their tobacco-related health-care costs.[1]: 25 In exchange, the companies agreed to curtail or cease certain tobacco marketing practices, as well as to pay, in perpetuity, various annual payments to the states to compensate them for some of the medical costs of caring for persons with smoking-related illnesses. The money also funds a new anti-smoking advocacy group, called the Truth Initiative, that is responsible for such campaigns as Truth and maintains a public archive of documents resulting from the cases.
After paying up, they are still KABILLIONS ahead in profit… Why should they care? Look at Juul. After being sued for making cigarettes more addictive, old tobacco purposely added a TON of Benzoic Acid to Juul liquid to prevent throat irritation (SAME AS CIGARETTES). Proof they have ZERO FUCKS for the American people, they kneel only to the USD!