Alcohol vs Marajuana

Colin Callahan

English 122-1B

Compare Contrast Essay

Alcohol and marijuana are both mind-altering drugs; in fact they are two of the most commonly abused drugs in the world today. These drugs have very much in common, for instance they are both drugs that are abused on a daily basis by people throughout the world. They have medical benefits, are used for recreation, are easy to obtain, and have similar effects on the body. Although alcohol and marijuana are similar they are also different in many ways. Alcohol is highly addictive compared to marijuana, which is not. Alcohol is linked to aggression, sexual assault, and in many cases death.

Both marijuana and alcohol are two of the most commonly used drugs, and are used recreationally by people all over the world. The average age for first time marijuana use is fourteen and twelve for first time alcohol use. Nearly 69 million Americans over the age of twelve have tried marijuana at least once. In a survey among 12th graders, nearly fifty percent have tried marijuana and about twenty-four were current users. Approximately fourteen million people in the United States are addicted to alcohol or abuse alcohol. Alcohol and marijuana also have health benefits. While they say a daily glass of red wine is known to keep your heart healthy, marijuana is used to treat terminal illnesses such as glaucoma, cancer, and HIV.

Another similarity of marijuana and alcohol is that they are both very easy to obtain. Sixty-five percent of youths surveyed said they got the alcohol they drink from family and friends. So obtaining alcohol as a minor is as easy as asking your older brother, or a friend who is of age. Although marijuana cannot be purchased from a store, it might as well be that simple. Nearly twenty-five percent of youths agreed that a lot of drug selling occurs in their neighborhoods, one in six had been approached by someone selling in the month prior to the survey.

The effects that marijuana and alcohol...