As a Drug Alcohol Is More Dangerous Than Cannabis

As a drug, alcohol is more dangerous than cannabis.

The question whether alcohol is more dangerous than cannabis and whether the cannabis should be legal or not has been debated now for long time in most Morden countries. To fully investigate the issue it is worth to understand how both drugs work. The cannabis produces chemical compounds called cannabinoids. The most important ones are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). THC is the psychoactive chemical which is responsible for the sensation of feeling ‘high’. THC also stimulates the production of more dopamine which gives the feeling of euphoria. In brain THC mimics the action of the anandamide which is a neurotransmitter that activates cannabinoid receptors. These receptors are responsible for communication between the neurons in many parts of brain and body. Simply THC disturb that process. However CBD is the chemical that is antagonist for THC. This is the chemical that is argue to have medical benefits like pain relief and it does not have psychoactive effects. However Alcohol alters the level of neurotransmitters. It increases the effect of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA which results in slow movement and speech. Alcohol also inhibits the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate which cause the psychological slowdown. The alcohol’s effect on GABA and glutamate results in increase dopamine production in the brain which is responsible for good during drinking.

Research published by journal Neurotoxicology and Teratology (3) has suggested that cannabis can have neuroprotective benefits. This particular study has shown that cannabis can protect from brain cell damage caused by alcohol. The research has been run by University of California San Diego where three groups of teenagers between ages 16-19 were tested. The groups were divided into first group that only drink alcohol, the second group that smoke marihuana and drink alcohol and third one control group that have...