Marijuana vs Alcohol - Essay Example

Abstract Marijuana is perceived today to be less dangerous compared to alcohol. Both have been used for recreation purposes and their negative consequences cannot be dismissed. Research studies and literatures will be reviewed to evaluate their evidence in supporting the use of marijuana and alcohol. Introduction For many years cannabis or known as marijuana has been viewed to cause dangerous effects including brain abnormalities. Since the beginning of cannabis prohibition in 1940s its possession is illegal in most of the countries. Alcohol has been taken in many countries for recreational purposes and no dangerous effects have been reported, unless in cases where it is misused (Hull & Stone, 2004). Alcohol is used with an aim of enhancing life like creating pleasure, getting rid of unhappy memories and increasing ecstasy (White, 2012). Cannabis is used for meditating, relaxing, increasing energy and improving concentration (Denning et al., 2004).Despite its massive dangers the United States President Barak Obama has portrayed cannabis use to be safe compared to alcohol. This essay will evaluate the evidence supporting the United States Barak Obama claims in reference to frequency use. Driving after alcohol and marijuana use Room, Babor & Rehm (2005) assert that driving after alcohol use among the youth is as common as driving after marijuana use. A research was conducted to find out the effects of driving after use of alcohol and marijuana in college students. The authors perceived negative consequences, normative beliefs and attitudes that college students have towards driving after using or testing marijuana and alcohol. The results reported that young people perceive driving after using marijuana as acceptable and its consequences are not as dangerous as driving after alcohol use. The Poisson regression analysis used indicated that the lower perception of dangerous effects and high perception of acceptability among college students is associated with the frequency and engagement rate in driving after using both alcohol marijuana. Those who involve highly in driving after substance use perceived low likelihood of negative consequences (McCarthy, Lynch & Pederson, 2007). This study aimed at achieving the relation of marijuana and alcohol use with negative consequences that occur. However, it did not report how many marijuana and alcohol users were found among college students. Substance users would have been ideal to provide a valid view of alcohol and marijuana users based on their experiences. The report would have indicated what actual consequences college students witnessed or experienced in driving after marijuana and alcohol use. College students only provided their view of what they thought would or would not happen. Relying only on students’ perception does not provide a strong evidence of alcohol being as dangerous as marijuana or more dangerous (Fuster, 2014). An intangible evidence lies in the perception that those involved in driving after alcohol use are likely to encounter negative consequences than those driving after marijuana use. A research was conducted on “underage college men discount dangers of driving after marijuana use” by Jennifer Whitehill and her colleagues from University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Underage male college students had used marijuana a month before they were surveyed. It was reported that it was common for respondents to drive after using marijuana or drive with a person under the same influence, a rate that was higher compared to riding under the influence of alcohol. The study reported that 9 percent of female and 44 percent marijuana users drove under the influence of marijuana, and 35 percent of females and 51 percent of males ware carried as a passengers by people under marijuana influence (University of Massachusetts, 2014). According to Jennifer Whitehill the lead author at UMass Amherst, the findings reflect the prevalent myth that it is safe to drive under the influence of marijuana than alcohol, since only 7 percent engaged in driving after taking alcohol. The researchers pointed out that the increase of marijuana use for medical purpose is a concern as many drug-impaired drivers increase in number. The findings are consistent with knowledge and comparison of marijuana and alcohol use, and provides evidence that marijuana is safe to use than alcohol, not based on any reported negative consequences but on perception. However, the report does not compare the consequences that took place when students drove under marijuana and alcohol. This comparison would have provided a strong evidence that marijuana is safe while alcohol is more dangerous.. From this report it can be concluded that many people prefer to drive under the influence of marijuana than alcohol because the negative consequences are perceived to be higher when driving under alcohol influence than marijuana. Both marijuana and alcohol increase impairment whether taken separately or combined. Though alcohol is predominantly the cause of many fatal crashes, marijuana is next in most frequently found crashes (Whitehill, Rivara & Moreno, 2014). A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study conducted by the Institute for Human Psychopharmacology at Maastricht University in the Netherlands aimed at assessing both separate and combined effects of alcohol and marijuana on driving. Those surveyed were 20 to 28 years olds who had taken alcohol and smoked marijuana at least once a month and were licenced drivers. Each participant was dosed with alcohol and marijuana separately then with a combination of both. Two levels of 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) of marijuana were used for tests; a low dose at THC 100 g/kg and a moderate dose at THC 200 g/kg. Two levels of alcohol were tested: alcohol-free placebo and 0.07 g/dl. Two on-road test scenarios were also used; the road tracking test (to measure the capability of a driver to maintain a constant speed of 100km/h and a steady position between the traffic lane boundaries), and the car following test (measuring drivers’ reaction while driving 50 m behind a vehicle) by alternating decelerations and accelerations. Participants drank alcohol and smoked marijuana after dark and began driving tests accompanied by a driving instructor. The results of the study showed that both doses of alcohol and marijuana when taken alone impaired driving performance compared with no marijuana and alcohol intake. A combination of marijuana and alcohol impaired driving performance relentlessly. This is a detailed and valid research that can be relied on. From the report it is clear that marijuana and alcohol impair driving performance. It has not supported fully the claims that marijuana is less dangerous than alcohol, but has instead placed them on an equal ground. Health Impact Marijuana and alcohol health effects have been implicated to be respiratory tract and cancer problems among others. Marijuana has been perceived by smokers to be medicinal thus having less or no negative effect on health. Researchers took a study to assess the effects of smoking marijuana by comparing the medical experience of persons who have used marijuana frequently without smoking tobacco and those who have never used marijuana but smoke tobacco (Polen et al., 1995). It was the first study to review health records of those who use marijuana only without tobacco or alcohol. Participants were members of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program who had a multiphasic health checkup (MHC) at San Francisco or Oakland medical centres. By the end of the study period 30,300 people had completed the multiphasic health checkup. Examinees of the MHC were provided with questionnaires documenting the medical history, social and demographic characteristics, the use of alcohol, and the use of tobacco and marijuana. 14,600 respondents to the survey of tobacco-marijuana reported having smoked more than six times in their lifetime and were currently smoking marijuana. 746 of these respondents reported never smoking tobacco but instead smoking marijuana daily. Relative risk for marijuana smoking versus the non-smoking were estimated by Poisson regression in view of their admission to hospital or outpatient visits. Marijuana smokers were reported to be more likely to drink alcohol or were heavy alcohol drinkers. They were also reported to have prolonged days of sore throat, flu and cold than non-smokers. Among the 6,088 total hospital visits 3,206 were marijuana smokers while 2,882 were non-smokers. 36% of marijuana smokers had at least one outpatient visit for a problem with their respiratory, while non-smokers were only 33%. 39% of marijuana smokers had visited a hospital at least once for injury compared to 28% of non-smokers. Marijuana smokers showed a high risk of outpatient risks compared to non-smokers. The research is wide and its results are valid as enough time was taken to observe and study the respondents in relation to the variables. The results reported are practical unlike earlier researchers who had reported on respondents’ perception. The negative consequences of marijuana on health have been clearly brought out. However, there was no much reported on alcohol use to provide a tangible comparison. Conclusion Marijuana use and its recent legalization in Washington is a burning issue today, especially after the United States president Barack Obama claimed that Marijuana is not as dangerous as alcohol. Evidence from different literatures and studies have been evaluated to identify their viability in supporting the claims. Several researches have been conducted on relationship of alcohol and marijuana use in relation to driving and health impact. While some studies have been vague and shallow in their evidence, some practical studies have reported results that support the claim to some extent. However, with the evidence gathered it is clear that marijuana is not safer compared to alcohol. Though there are few health consequences of smoking marijuana, its long term use has been implicated to affect reproductive, immune, pulmonary and mental function. Before dangers of marijuana use are ruled out, more research needs to be conducted to find out the possibility of its safety. References Denning, P, Little, J & Glickman, A. (2004). Over the Influence: The Harm Reduction Guide for Managing Drugs and Alcohol. Guilford Press. Fuster, D., Cheng, D.M., Allensworth-Davies, D., Palfai , T.P., Samet, J.H., & Saitz, R. (2014). No detectable association between frequency of marijuana use and health or healthcare utilization among primary care patients who screen positive for drug use. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 29(1), 133-139 Hull, J., G & Stone, L.,B. (2004). Alcohol and self-regulation. In Eds R.F. Baumeister and K.D. Vohs. Handbook of self-regulation, pp 466-491. London: the Guilford Press. McCarthy, D., M, Lynch, A., M & Pederson, S., L. (2007). Driving after use of alcohol and marijuana in college students. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 21(3), 425-430. Polen, M., R, Sidney, S, Tekawa, I., S, Sadler, M & Friedman, G., D. (1993). Frequent Marijuana Smokers Who Do Not Smoke Tobacco. The Western Journal of Medicine. Room, R., Babor, T., & Rehm, J. (2005). Alcohol and public health. Lancet, 365, 519–530. University of Massachusetts. (2014). Underage college men discount dangers of driving after marijuana use. ScienceDaily. White, T. (2012). Working with Drug and Alcohol Users: A Guide to Providing Understanding, Assessment and Support. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Whitehill, M., J, Rivara, F., P & Moreno, M., A. (2014). Marijuana-Using Drivers, Alcohol-Using Drivers, and Their Passengers. JAMA Pediatrics. Read More