Marijuana: A Safer Alternative to Alcohol and Other Drugs

Marijuana - A Safer Alternative To Alcohol & Other Drugs

Researchers recently confirmed what previous studies have long been indicating. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, using a novel method to determine mortality risk associated with various legal and illegal substances, scientists conclude that of all the drugs tested, alcohol is the most deadly. Perhaps surprisingly to some, certainly not all, cannabis proves the safest. 

The study revealed that, at the individual level, alcohol comes with the highest risk of dying, followed by nicotine, then cocaine, and then heroin. This suggests society has long been underestimating the risks of drinking alcohol. Weed, however, sits on the other side of the spectrum entirely. These findings support prior research, lots of it, that consistently shows cannabis to be the safest recreational drug. 

Impact of Scientific Study

While the increasing range for marijuana delivery may not be what the government wants to do, these results only emphasize the need for scientific evidence regarding recreational drugs, whether licit or illicit, especially when creating policies for their use. It appears the world decided eons ago that illegal substances are dangerous, and armed with perceptions not facts, drafted ineffective policies for them. 

Coupled with the difficulty associated with assessing and classifying the risk of drug abuse in populations, studies in which researchers compare the dangers of various drugs are rare. Additionally, because society regards illegal drugs more dangerous than other harmful drugs, such as prescription pills and alcohol, governments create restrictive policies emotionally, making wild guesses into law.

Margin of Exposure, or MOE

Despite challenges like this, there have been risk assessments for various different drugs, such as studying how toxic and addictive they are in cases of chronic and acute use. However, these stirred up some controversy, since some conclusions appear subjective and not scientific. To address these issues and find answers, scientists created a new method for assessing risk, called the “Margin of Exposure.”

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The MOE method analyzes the ratio between the dose, which helps define adverse effects, and the quantity that folks typically consume. The drugs studied included alcohol, heroin, nicotine, cocaine, amphetamine, methadone, MDMA, and marijuana. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, they found four substances worth classifying as high risk at the level of individual use. 

The “high risk” drugs found were alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, and heroin. The rest fell into a normal risk category. However, if one examines the risks for population instead of just the individual, one finds alcohol the only drug considered high risk. According to these findings, alcohol is around 114 times more deadly than marijuana, which was the only drug studied to pose a very low risk of death. 

Other Impacts on Drug Safety

With that said, the research team noted that, in interpreting these results, it does not mean that moderate drinking is more dangerous than taking heroin, for example. Not in any way. Much of the hazard associated with taking drugs does not lie in the drug itself, but instead in the conditions in which people take it, like, say, sharing dirty needles. The study did not consider these factors in its account. 

Although this study attempted to clarify criticisms of previous studies, and yet still support earlier findings, it is important to note that it still had huge limitations. The authors identified some of these in the publication itself. For example, few studies exist on the long-term effects of these drugs, leaving researchers with death, as opposed to cancer, as the only risk factor available for them to assess. 

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Additionally, although the study proved cannabis the safest drug of them all, it did not factor into consideration the method of its use. While marijuana itself may not pose any significant health risk, smoking it certainly adds to the risk, since cannabis smoke is a powerful irritant. Ingesting it would be a much safer way to take it, but the authors failed to address this in the study. 

Marijuana Delivery Los Angeles

It is clear that cannabis is not a harmful drug if taken responsibly. Thousands of studies now prove it a highly valuable therapeutic agent, rich in cannabinoids with powerful medicinal properties. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, managing the risks of tobacco and alcohol would be more effective than authorities focusing on illegal drugs alone would. 

However, marijuana is legal in California, even if the federal government has yet to legalize it. The study’s authors suggest that, for drugs like cannabis with low risk, regulation instead of prohibition would prove a safer, more effective, and more justified approach from governments. You can order marijuana delivery in Los Angeles. It is safer than buying booze for yourself, family, and party guests. 

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Comments (6)

  1. Avatar for Columbus Columbus July 10, 2019 / 8:23 pm / Reply

    Yeah, people stay a lot calmer on weed

  2. Avatar for Grant Grant July 11, 2019 / 2:22 pm / Reply

    A puff a day, keeps the doctor away!

  3. Avatar for Donte Donte July 13, 2019 / 12:31 pm / Reply

    Cannabis is becoming the safest legal choice

  4. Avatar for Omer Omer July 14, 2019 / 10:12 am / Reply

    Cannabis is the best!!

  5. Avatar for Fermin Fermin July 15, 2019 / 9:35 am / Reply

    Marijuana is safer and starting to have a huge social impact!!!

  6. Avatar for Jamey Jamey July 16, 2019 / 1:37 pm / Reply

    Yeah, cannabis is safer, everyone knows that!!

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