Surveys show that 17 percent of Americans admitted to smoking weed at least once as of 2023, which feels less surprising when you note that recreational marijuana is now legal in 24 states. That shift has made weed far more accessible, and curiosity around its risks has grown with it.
Even more people, though—around 60 percent of the population—drink alcohol, despite the well-known impact it has on the body and the long list of conditions linked to heavy drinking.
Alcohol has been tied to at least seven forms of cancer, including some of the most common types such as bowel cancer and breast cancer in women, making it a bigger long-term risk than many casual drinkers realize.
Weed, on the other hand, comes from the Cannabis sativa plant, and the Cleveland Clinic notes that it brings its own mix of short-term and long-term effects. Researchers are still studying those effects closely to understand the full picture of how harmful marijuana can be.
At the same time, medical marijuana is used to help with certain conditions. It can relieve chronic pain, increase appetite when needed, and help manage symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), which is why it has become part of many treatment plans.
With all of this in mind, you might assume that alcohol must be the worse option of the two. Yet the comparison is not as simple as it sounds, and that is what prompted this deeper look.
“Now those of you who follow me know neither one are good for you,” he said in a disclaimer during his YouTube video. “And quite frankly there are more deaths every year from alcohol than there are marijuana.”
“There’s more domestic violence, there’s more drunk driving accidents, there’s more bad decisions, people ending up in jail.”
His comments come at a time when health experts have raised concerns about a rise in hospital visits linked to heavy cannabis use. Doctors in emergency departments have treated people with severe abdominal pain and extended bouts of vomiting, and many of these patients were long-term cannabis users.
The pattern has become noticeable enough that medical professionals are urging more awareness around the risks of frequent or heavy marijuana use.
UW Medicine explains that CHS usually appears within 24 hours of the most recent cannabis use and may last for several days. Chronic users can experience these episodes multiple times a year, sometimes as many as three or four.
