Drinking Alcohol in Moderation and Smoking Weed in Moderation, What’s the Difference?

Posted by Tony Bylsma on March 14, 2011 under Drug Abuse Prevention Education | 2 Comments to Read

Obviously, Alcohol and Marijuana are both mind altering drugs. And obviously there are people who drink once in a while and people who smoke once in a while. So, is there a difference? Well, yes. And the difference is not small.

When a person has a drink at a party, or a beer at a ball game or picnic, their purpose for doing that is not necessarily to get drunk. If becoming ‘high’ is the goal, they won’t stop at one. Having a glass of wine with dinner is another example. One glass of wine is more like a food than a Drug. The reason for having it is most certainly for the taste or to enhance the food.

The drinker is not trying to become inebriated, stoned, high or “wasted”.

But when someone smokes a marijuana joint or bowl of weed in a pipe, they are trying to get high, stoned, wasted. In fact, if they smoked and didn’t feel any large change in emotional or psychological state, they would probably take the weed back to the dealer and demand a refund or some “better stuff”.

I’m not talking about what is right or wrong, just that there cannot be any doubt that the two activities are NOT the same.

(Image by africa)

Tags: drug, drug abuse prevention, Drug Education

Cindy said,

do you know there is such a thing as medical marijuana..people that have fibromyalgia{for lack of a better word chronic pain all over there body} smokin weed is the best to help the muscles relax so they can be comfortable. so not all people that smokedo it to get high.. people in general or all that i know when they have a drink are drinking to get drunk, duh, why do you think so many people get D.U.I.’s and how many do actually get drivin while smokin pot.
Tony Bylsma said,

Thank you for your comment Cindy. If you have a disease that could be helped by THC you should do some homework and find safer alternatives. There are much more effective drugs than THC.
Even THC is available in pill form, Marinol. Smoking adds hundreds of chemicals to the medication, including scores of carcinogens and you cannot closely regulate the dose of the medicine. If you’re looking to “cop a buzz”, I’m afraid Marinol isn’t going to be as much help.
The vast majority of alcohol drinkers do not drink to get drunk.