Researchers know much more about alcohol than they do about cannabis. We may be paid a fee for marketing or advertising by organizations that can assist with treating addictions. Anyone with a serious addiction problem should get medical or therapeutic help. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, you should consult your health care provider. It should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or illness.
V. Long-Term Health Outcomes: The 20-Year View
Both cannabis and alcohol can carry a potential for misuse and addiction, but this appears to be more common with alcohol. The immediate effects of cannabis can vary quite a bit from person to person. Another person might not have any issues with misusing alcohol but still find it hard to function without cannabis. For example, one person may have a very low tolerance for cannabis but be able to tolerate alcohol well. Reactions to cannabis and alcohol differ from person to person.
Understanding the Health Effects of Marijuana
You rarely hear of someone smoking cannabis and starting a fight. Alcohol is strongly linked to violence, while cannabis is not. While alcohol may help you fall asleep initially, it disrupts REM sleep and causes fragmented sleep patterns. Cannabis generally provides better sleep support than alcohol. Cannabis, particularly CBD-rich strains, can provide anxiety relief without the rebound anxiety effect.
You can even downplay anxiety or justify casual use. Cannabis users sleep better, recover faster, and don’t come in reeking of regret. Meanwhile, alcohol tax revenue doesn’t even come close to covering the damage it causes.
- Here’s what I’ve learned through decades of helping people ease into this lifestyle—safely, consciously, and with intention.
- The lore–and some scientific evidence suggests–that drivers under the influence of cannabis are aware of their impairment and attempt to compensate for it by, for example, slowing down, focusing attention and not taking risks.
- However, both substances carry their own risks, and there’s no research to prove one categorically safer than the other.
- Anyone who feels at risk for suicide should call 911 immediately.
Marijuana
Weed and alcohol are both metabolized primarily by our liver, but current research shows that alcohol causes more harm to our liver. Shifts in legality and public perception continue to occur, but presently, marijuana is still highly controlled through regulation and taxation. Although more research is needed, current findings suggest marijuana use has negative impacts on public safety. In addition to the toll on our economy, alcohol production also causes negative environmental impacts. Alcohol and marijuana are both drugs that can cause dependence and lead to misuse.
Physical Health: Long-Term Effects
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 13,000 people died in alcohol-impaired driving traffic deaths in 2023. Before I give the statistics on THC vs. alcohol, let me emphasize that no one should drive impaired, whether it is THC, alcohol, sleepiness, or any other factor including texting. When blood alcohol concentration reaches high levels, alcohol suppresses the brain regions controlling breathing and heart rate, which can be fatal. Acute alcohol poisoning kills thousands of people annually in the United States, largely because alcohol has a narrow margin between an intoxicating dose and a lethal one. By Fran KritzKritz is a healthcare reporter with a focus on health policy. “The gummies, for example, can take as long as an hour and a half to have an effect, but people expecting a quick hit may take more, impacting the effects and even landing in the emergency room,” Cooper said.
It’s not a simple upper or downer — it depends on the strain, the dose, and your own brain chemistry. This is especially true for anyone with underlying depression or anxiety disorders. Most people wake up more anxious the next day, mentally foggy, and emotionally off-center. It might feel like it \“relaxes\“ you after a drink or two, but it rebounds hard. This is the stuff people care about today.
Weight, Metabolism & Body Composition
- Cannabis can affect attention span, reaction time, and spatial awareness, while alcohol significantly disrupts coordination, inhibits judgment, and increases risk-taking behavior.
- A recent meta-analysis in Heart found that cannabis users face a 20% higher risk of stroke and twice the risk of dying from cardiovascular causes.
- The American Journal of Public Health found that between 2000 to 2018, fatal crashes involving cannabis rose from 9% to 21.5%, and crashes involving both substances more than doubled.
- Cannabis also has a particular appeal for older adults who want fewer hangover effects and a drink fitting wellness-oriented senior lifestyles.
Create profiles to personalise content. Use profiles to select personalised advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising. New products—such as edibles, beverages, and particularly gummies—can contain high doses of THC, the primary psychoactive compound that makes users “high.” Recent evidence shows that even light drinking is not without risk. The researchers also acknowledged that the findings do not prove that cannabis use causes heart problems.
Addiction Potential
Reaction time, judgment, coordination — it’s all severely impaired, even at modest blood alcohol levels. We need to be honest here — both substances impair driving. Even long-term users show no consistent pattern of violent behavior. After four decades in cannabis culture — and 15 years completely alcohol-free — I’ve seen both sides of the coin. I’m not saying weed is magic — but used mindfully, it has helped me stay clear-headed, emotionally balanced, and creatively on fire in ways alcohol never could. I’ve seen thousands of patients use cannabis to break dependence on alcohol, sleep aids, or even benzos.
II. Physical Health: What Your Body Actually Experiences
The information provided is Marijuana vs alcohol intended to encourage, not replace, direct patient-health professional relationships. We aim to raise awareness, offer guidance, and connect people with recovery programs to help them regain control and improve their lives. Robert is our health care professional reviewer of this website. Alcohol Awareness can help you understand your options and take the next step towards a healthier lifestyle. If you’re concerned about your use of either substance—or both—support is available. Marijuana contains a psychoactive compound called THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which interacts with the brain’s endocannabinoid system.
Cannabis does not cause liver damage and some studies suggest it may have protective effects on liver health. Most people wake up feeling normal after cannabis use. While you can consume too much and feel uncomfortable (anxiety, paranoia, nausea), there are zero recorded deaths from cannabis overdose. This isn’t about demonizing alcohol or glorifying weed — it’s about facts, lived experience, and real-world results.
What works for one person may not work for another, and the best decisions come from an honest look at your own body, mind, and life. But in the real world, no substance choice exists in a vacuum. Want to start exploring cannabis as a wellness tool?
Currently, alcohol is tied to greater health issues, but it’s too soon to come to the conclusion that alcohol is worse, as more information is needed. Although our individual experiences may vary, both substances can have dangerous effects. At a quick glance, the extensive list of alcohol’s effects may have us wondering, “Is alcohol worse than weed even though weed is illegal in many places? Like the effects of alcohol, marijuana’s acute effects can linger in the days following its use. Short-term effects of alcohol can also be felt the day after — even a few days after — in what we know of as a hangover.
This approach also comes with all the same risks of mixing alcohol with marijuana (see chart above). If you are attempting to reduce your consumption of either substance, keeping weed and alcohol separate (or skipping them altogether) makes that journey easier and safer. Using cannabis before drinking alcohol may slow the absorption of alcohol, while drinking alcohol before using marijuana increases THC absorption—making you feel higher than intended.
With cannabis, tolerance breaks can effectively reset THC sensitivity, making it easier to moderate use over time. Long-term use often leads to dependence, and withdrawal can be life-threatening without medical supervision. As legalization spreads, it’s crucial to develop standardized testing and legal thresholds to discourage impaired driving. While rare complications have been reported, such as cannabis-induced coronary spasm, these cases are anomalies—not the norm. These include deaths from liver disease, cancer, heart complications, and alcohol-related violence or accidents. Alcohol causes over 36,000 deaths annually in the U.S. due to chronic use alone, with the CDC reporting an average of 488 alcohol-related deaths each day between 2020 and 2021.