# Smoking's Better Than Drinking **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 10, 2009, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smokings-better-than-drinking/505970 "2009-08-10T20:09:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![portiacarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@portiacarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/portiacarlisle)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smokings-better-than-drinking/505970/1 "2009-08-10T20:09:36Z")
**“A controversial new movement promotes pot use instead of alcohol. These parents want to ban pot prohibition because they believe it will save lives.”** > **[TMZ](https://www.tmz.com/)** > > Breaking the biggest stories in celebrity and entertainment news. Get exclusive access to the latest stories, photos, and video as only TMZ can. My husband and I are openly pro-legalization, but that doesn’t sit too well with other parents in our neighborhood. Curious how everyone else feels about this. ---
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smokings-better-than-drinking/505970/2 "2009-08-10T20:12:16Z")
I believe I once overheard a statement such as this: “pot is like the best part of being drunk without the bad parts of being drunk” ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smokings-better-than-drinking/505970/3 "2009-08-10T20:40:20Z")
Th only downside I can think of towards pot smoking is that you can’t get “secondhand drunk” from being in a room full of drinkers. So I would legalize pot smoking in homes and possibly private businesses, but not on the street or any of the other public places that we let people spew tobacco smoke in. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smokings-better-than-drinking/505970/4 "2009-08-10T20:52:06Z")
I think there’s some truth to the claim that smoking marijuana is safer than drinking—or at least that getting high is safer than getting drunk. But I have some problems with some of the things the article says. > [@](#): > > Possessing pot can land you in jail, but drinking too much at a keg party can kill you. “This highlights the absurdity in how we treat these two substances,” > > “Things have gotten so skewed. People look at pot like it’s the bogeyman. It’s not going to kill you; alcohol can kill you,” Taking too much Tylenol can kill you, too. The ability of a substance to kill you if you OD on it is not the only factor in judging its safety. > [@](#): > > “The fact that we have students drinking themselves to death made us realize we had to start some awareness on college campuses,” “Start some awareness”? I didn’t know that trying to make college students aware of the dangers of drinking was a new, unprecedented thing. > [@](#): > > As a practicing physical therapist, Diane is supportive of her son’s efforts to dispel marijuana myths. “I would so much rather he smoke pot than drink and get behind the wheel of a car,” said Diane. What does that mean—that you’re okay with him driving stoned? > [@](#): > > The statistics on the dangers of alcohol are staggering. Drinking on college campuses led to 1,400 deaths, 500,000 injuries, and 70,000 cases of sexual assault or date rape I wonder whether it’s fair to say that drinking led to all of these, or whether they’re mistaking correlation for causation in some cases. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smokings-better-than-drinking/505970/5 "2009-08-10T20:53:04Z")
I completely disagree that “pot is like the best part of being drunk without the bad parts of being drunk”. I don’t think that the effects of pot are in any way comparable to those of alcohol. Pot stimulates the imagination and intensifies emotion, making things like music and art take on stronger meanings and making conversation seem more important. But it also has the side-effect of creating paranoia; it raises the heart rate; it can cause you to become scared and panic, if you have a thought that freaks you out while you’re high (it is a psychedelic drug, after all, and I think the same rules about “bad trips” apply to marijuana but to a far lesser extent.) Alcohol increases social confidence. It makes conversations more boisterous and “fun,” if not as “deep” the way pot does. I can’t say that alcohol makes me _appreciate_ music, art or anything else in a greater sense, but alcohol certainly makes me want to dance more. It definitely gets me more loosened up. The downside is, of course, that the physical effects of it, both in the long and short term, are more severe than the use of marijuana. A friend of mine has a good way of putting it: “Alcohol turns you into a different person; Marijuana takes you to a different place.” I think that is a very apt comparison. Personally I prefer alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![Maia\_s\_Well](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Maia\_s\_Well](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maia_s_Well)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smokings-better-than-drinking/505970/6 "2009-08-11T04:49:17Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Taking too much Tylenol can kill you, too. The ability of a substance to kill you if you OD on it is not the only factor in judging its safety. I don’t think you can OD on pot. And I think it’s reasonable to say that potential deaths from overdoses is _one_ of the factors to take into consideration when deciding whether or not to legalize a drug. There are some other comparisons between alcohol and marijuana that seem relevant. Like the fact that marijuana is not physically addictive, that you aren’t at risk for death in withdrawal (as an alcoholic can be when detoxing from alcohol), and alcohol has been shown to have some pretty serious damage to the human body when used frequently. But that just goes to show that our laws are made by humans, so they’re not necessarily rationally based. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smokings-better-than-drinking/505970/7 "2009-08-11T14:56:04Z")
Your liver can handle alcohol in moderation. There are studies saying drinking in moderation is good for your health and longevity. Sucking in hot smoke affects more than just your lungs. I can not see how it can be good. If you are an addictive personality, it may be better than drinking too much. But getting high really has no positive benefits. I read that getting high is part of the bodies reaction to poisons. Take too much of anything that can make you high and you may suffer. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smokings-better-than-drinking/505970/8 "2009-08-11T15:09:02Z")
> [@portiacarlisle](#): > > **“A controversial new movement promotes pot use instead of alcohol. These parents want to ban pot prohibition because they believe it will save lives.”** > [Celebrity News | Entertainment News | TMZ.com](http://www.momlogic.com/2009/08/pot_parents_moms_want_kids_to_smoke_marijuana.php) > > My husband and I are openly pro-legalization, but that doesn’t sit too well with other parents in our neighborhood. Curious how everyone else feels about this. I agree with this completely. Alcohol is one of the worst drugs that exists. More people are killed violently by drunks than by anyone on any other drug. It causes more car accidents. Does more damage to your liver, hurts your relationship with people around you. It’s absolutely ludicrous that this poison is legal while Pot is illegal. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smokings-better-than-drinking/505970/9 "2009-08-11T15:17:38Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > Th only downside I can think of towards pot smoking is that you can’t get “secondhand drunk” from being in a room full of drinkers. So I would legalize pot smoking in homes and possibly private businesses, but not on the street or any of the other public places that we let people spew tobacco smoke in. You can ingest pot without smoking it. > [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I completely disagree that “pot is like the best part of being drunk without the bad parts of being drunk”. I don’t think that the effects of pot are in any way comparable to those of alcohol. Pot stimulates the imagination and intensifies emotion, making things like music and art take on stronger meanings and making conversation seem more important. But it also has the side-effect of creating paranoia; it raises the heart rate; it can cause you to become scared and panic, if you have a thought that freaks you out while you’re high (it is a psychedelic drug, after all, and I think the same rules about “bad trips” apply to marijuana but to a far lesser extent.) The only thing that makes me paranoid about Pot is whether or not I am going to get in trouble with the police for having it. Otherwise I wouldn’t be paranoid at all. There is one other thing but it’s very minor. Sometimes I get afraid that I am going to be dull in conversation when I am really stoned. Being drunk is worse though. I get far more paranoid when I am drunk than when I am stoned. > [@](#): > > Alcohol increases social confidence. It makes conversations more boisterous and “fun,” if not as “deep” the way pot does. I can’t say that alcohol makes me _appreciate_ music, art or anything else in a greater sense, but alcohol certainly makes me want to dance more. It definitely gets me more loosened up. The downside is, of course, that the physical effects of it, both in the long and short term, are more severe than the use of marijuana. It increases social confidence a little too much. But at the same time, I agree that alcohol in moderation is better for a social gathering than pot. > [@](#): > > A friend of mine has a good way of putting it: “Alcohol turns you into a different person; Marijuana takes you to a different place.” I think that is a very apt comparison. I dunno. Marijuana quiets the monologue allows you to use different parts of your mind, makes you more imaginative less methodically rational. For those of us stuck in our forebrains it’s quite welcome. > [@](#): > > Personally I prefer alcohol. I used to. I think I might have actually done a little bit of damage, or I am just getting too old to drink anymore. Alcohol is the only thing I think I might be addicted to because when I drink I just want to drink and drink and drink. > [@gonzomax](#): > > Your liver can handle alcohol in moderation. There are studies saying drinking in moderation is good for your health and longevity. Sucking in hot smoke affects more than just your lungs. I can not see how it can be good. If you are an addictive personality, it may be better than drinking too much. But getting high really has no positive benefits. > I read that getting high is part of the bodies reaction to poisons. Take too much of anything that can make you high and you may suffer. Inhaling smoke isn’t good. But there are other ways to ingest marijuana. I like extracting the THC into a oil/butter sauce and making pasta sauce with it. 😉 It’s very difficult to smoke so much THC that it will poison you. You’ll pass out before you’ll get poisoned seriously. Of course this changes when you extract the THC. The reason smoking it is better in this regard is that the drug enters the blood stream very quickly as opposed to alcohol which enters the bloodstream slowly through digestion. That’s why if your stomach is empty you get drunk faster. If you go to a keg party on a full stomach and ‘Chug chug chug’ then you’re ready for a trip to the ER. ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smokings-better-than-drinking/505970/10 "2009-08-11T15:25:08Z")
> [@Maia\_s\_Well](#): > > Like the fact that marijuana is not physically addictive [This is](http://www.nida.nih.gov/Published_Articles/Essence.html)[not a](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/05/08/health/webmd/main4080584.shtml) [fact](http://www.uhs.wisc.edu/display_story.jsp?id=736&cat_id=38) ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smokings-better-than-drinking/505970/11 "2009-08-11T16:34:43Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > …Pot stimulates the imagination and intensifies emotion, making things like music and art take on stronger meanings and making conversation seem more important. Yeah…except they usually aren’t. Really the problem with pot is that it makes doing absolutely nothing seem really interesting. What I’ve seen is that a lot of people who smoke a lot of pot don’t really do much of anything at all. Alchohol, OTOH, removes inhibitions. In a sense it turns off that little voice in your head that says “I wouldn’t do that shit.” But all in all, I don’t think pot is any worse than drinking. ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smokings-better-than-drinking/505970/12 "2009-08-11T17:20:58Z")
> [@IAmNotSpartacus](#): > > [This is](http://www.nida.nih.gov/Published_Articles/Essence.html)[not a](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/05/08/health/webmd/main4080584.shtml) [fact](http://www.uhs.wisc.edu/display_story.jsp?id=736&cat_id=38) None of those three articles say that marijuana is physically addicitive. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smokings-better-than-drinking/505970/13 "2009-08-11T17:34:16Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Yeah…except they usually aren’t. > > Really the problem with pot is that it makes doing absolutely nothing seem really interesting. What I’ve seen is that a lot of people who smoke a lot of pot don’t really do much of anything at all. > > Alchohol, OTOH, removes inhibitions. In a sense it turns off that little voice in your head that says “I wouldn’t do that shit.” I think weed is better for coming up with ideas; alcohol is better for actually doing something with your ideas. I’ve come up with good ideas for stories or whatever while stoned but could never get very far writing them down; I’d always get distracted midway through and stop. I can’t really read or type or do anything useful when stoned, but I do find that I’m better at doing shading and coloring (as opposed to line drawing.) This is all in the past because I don’t smoke it anymore at all. When drinking, I have more motivation to work on stuff, specifically writing. I think many great writers have been heavy drinkers for that reason. ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smokings-better-than-drinking/505970/14 "2009-08-11T17:41:56Z")
> [@NicePete](#): > > None of those three articles say that marijuana is physically addicitive. I think it helps if you actually read the articles before you can say what they do or don’t contain. Jesus Christ, the third article has an entire section titled **Physical Dependence** > [@](#): > > Indeed, people always seem relieved to hear that a substance “just” produces psychological addiction, or has only minimal physical withdrawal symptoms. Then they discount its dangers. They are wrong. Marijuana is a case in point here, and I will come back to it shortly. > [@](#): > > **An opposite example is marijuana, and whether it is addicting. There are some signs of physical dependence or withdrawal in heavy users, and withdrawal has been demonstrated in studies on animals.** But what matters much more is that every year more than 100,000 people, most of them adolescents, seek treatment for their inability to control their marijuana use. They suffer from compulsive, uncontrollable marijuana craving, seeking and use. That, makes it addicting, certainly for a large number of people. bolding mine > [@](#): > > Two decades ago, addiction medicine doctors and counselors believed that the difference between substance abuse and substance dependence was whether tolerance and withdrawal were present. Now it is known that, although tolerance or withdrawal may occur in individuals with addiction, the condition of addiction can exist without any sign of tolerance or withdrawal. Still, a common question of interest is, does marijuana produce physical dependence (that is, tolerance or withdrawal)? > > By the twenty-first century, the answers to these questions are clear. Tolerance does develop to THC (the active chemical in marijuana). Moreover, withdrawal definitely occurs in some users. **The effects of this withdrawal are generally the opposite of the effects of intoxication: anxiety and insomnia instead of relaxation; loss of appetite rather than hunger; excessive salivation instead of dry mouth; and also decreased pulse, irritability, and sometimes tremor.** People who have used marijuana as a way to control underlying anger may also experience irritability, increased mood swings, and even an increase in aggressive behavior, as symptoms of withdrawal. ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smokings-better-than-drinking/505970/15 "2009-08-11T18:16:42Z")
“Some signs … in heavy users” Gosh, that’s a pretty definitive finding. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smokings-better-than-drinking/505970/16 "2009-08-11T18:25:11Z")
It doesn’t really matter if Marijuana is physically addictive. Hell you could probably prove that Ice Cream is physically addictive. I assert that Marijuana is no worse for people than Ice Cream and no more likely to make one fat and lazy than Ice Cream. Of course it is more likely to make you eat Ice Cream. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smokings-better-than-drinking/505970/17 "2009-08-11T18:28:32Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > It doesn’t really matter if Marijuana is physically addictive. Hell you could probably prove that Ice Cream is physically addictive. I assert that Marijuana is no worse for people than Ice Cream and no more likely to make one fat and lazy than Ice Cream. Of course it is more likely to make you eat Ice Cream. It’s a gateway drug! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smokings-better-than-drinking/505970/18 "2009-08-11T19:03:58Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > It’s a gateway drug! :eek: I know! Ice Cream sometimes leads to cake, and then cookies! ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smokings-better-than-drinking/505970/19 "2009-08-11T19:33:29Z")
> [@NicePete](#): > > “Some signs … in heavy users” Gosh, that’s a pretty definitive finding. I’d say it is, considering the original claim was the “fact that marijuana is not physically addicting.” Do you have anything definitive to rebut what has been presented before you? Or are we just going to accept bullshit because it sounds good and carry on? ---
**Author:** ![Mojo\_Pin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mojo\_Pin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo_Pin)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2009, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smokings-better-than-drinking/505970/20 "2009-08-11T19:50:26Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Your liver can handle alcohol in moderation. There are studies saying drinking in moderation is good for your health and longevity. There are also studies saying many many people die because of those who can’t drink in moderation. Time for a little cost benefit analysis? > [@gonzomax](#): > > Sucking in hot smoke affects more than just your lungs. I can not see how it can be good. Thanks for looking out for the stoners, but maybe we’ll get back to you once someone actually, you know, dies from marijuana. Or even gets lung cancer. Also, you might be happy to hear that it actually is possible for someone to use marijuana without burning it. > [@gonzomax](#): > > If you are an addictive personality, it may be better than drinking too much. But getting high really has ndo positive benefits. Really? Pain relief? Relaxation? This is just the first study on medical marijuana on wiki: [pot and alzheimers](http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=2562334). Haven’t read it, but it looks legit. > [@gonzomax](#): > > I read that getting high is part of the bodies reaction to poisons. Take too much of anything that can make you high and you may suffer. Hmm, let’s see which this really applies to, pot or booze. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smokings-better-than-drinking/505970.md?page=2)