This presentation compares alcohol and marijuana: strength, dosage, Colorado data, impairment, brain, reasoning....

1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2722956/
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2. That’s like asking which is worse- a python or cottonmouth? Both are dangerous and can
be deadly they just use different methods to kill their victims. The greater the prevalence
(the greater the quantity) … the greater the likelihood of becoming a victim.
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3. 3

4. Let’s look a little closer at what we know about alcohol and marijuana.
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5. Alcohol beverages are Regulated by state Alcohol Beverage Control Boards. The exact
percentage of alcohol in each beverage is clearly labeled.
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6. 1. The THC level has increased significantly over the decades.
2. Potency is dramatically variable between batches but also within a single crop.
3. Edibles particular have varying potency depending how the ingredients are blended.
4. Inconsistency is a major issue. 80 percent of product labels for marijuana edibles
were inaccurate according to researchers
http://www.livescience.com/51314-medical-marijuana-edibles-inaccurate-labels.html
Potency Monitoring Program, Quarterly Report Number 123, National Center for Natural
Products
Research (NCNRP) at the University of Mississippi, under contract with the National Institute on
Drug Abuse.
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7. Regulations require labeling cans & bottles with the exact percentage of alcohol.
Distributors and Consumers are able to identify the exact ingredients and specific amount
alcohol in each container.
In addition a government warning label for pregnant women, driving or operating
machinery and “may cause health problems”.
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8. Marijuana on the other hand if it is being sold as medicine comes with a printed label
“for medical use only- as per CA heath & safety code section 11362.
1. Although some people have labeled it a medicine the medical field is struggling to
validate this with evidence.
2. There are currently over 10 prescription medicines FDA approved with cannabinoids
extracted from the marijuana plant that seem to help in some cases but are not the first
line of defense for doctors to prescribe because quite frankly there are far better options
on the market today.
People might think twice about smoking pot if they knew what ingredients it contained?
Fertilizers may be good for plants but not so much for human consumption. Pesticides
have been linked with deleterious effects on human health and that of the
environment. Each crop even plant may vary in the levels of these ingredients
that end up in each package. Does this sound safe and healthy? Does this sound
like medicine?
Children exposed to pesticides have increased rates of leukemia and brain cancer,
and pregnant women with exposure have higher miscarriage rates, according to the
Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Pesticides may also
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9. damage the lungs and nervous system. In nature, pesticides pollute the air, water and
ground. As a result, plant and animal life may die or become sick and malformed.
http://drugstestingbook.com/cannabinoids/cannabinoid-pharmacokinetics/
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/negative-positive-effects-pesticides-fertilizer-38216.html
http://npic.orst.edu/ingred/specchem.html
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10. Even in states that are attempting to regulate (and I use the term loosely) the production
and sale of marijuana it is nearly impossible to regulate due to the black market and
existing drug dealing networks.
1. Although marijuana advocates profess that it is an organic plant it often contains
pesticides, fertilizers, mold, …
2. The most talked about chemicals are CBD & THC (the cannabinoid that gets a person
high) however Cannabis sativa contains more than 421 different chemical
compounds, including over 60 cannabinoids. (These plants may vary in amount
from plant to plant making it difficult to determine the cause of specific side-effects
when the whole plant is used vs. medicines that exact or synthetically replicate desired
components of plants. The typical process for FDA medicines. )
3. Basically whether marijuana is regulated in state where it is legal, labeled a medicine,
street pot or retail pot you have no idea what you are getting in other words
consistency, safety and uniformity is a major problem.- often pot is laced with heroin
or other more addicting drugs to help build loyal customers.
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11. Yesterday’s pot would be equivalent to a beer while today’s pot is more like a shot of liquor.
Foods infused with marijuana oil often have 90 millgrams of THC or several shots of
alcohol. Actually one severing is about 1/6 of a brownie or cookie. When was the last time
you ate on 1/6 of a brownie?
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12. http://gazette.com/clearing-the-haze-thc-extracts-concentrate-problems/article/1554097
Known as hash oil, wax, dabs, and shatter, concentrates deliver a high so fast and
intense many users refer to them as “green crack.” One ounce of the highest
potency THC concentrate can yield 560 average tokes on an electronic cigarette. In
edibles, Colorado law defines an average serving of THC as 10 milligrams.
The 10-milligram serving size established by Colorado lawmakers means one 1
ounce of high-potency THC oil — the amount one adult is allowed to buy or possess
at any given time — also can equal 2,800 average servings. That’s a well-stocked
bakery.
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13. Now that we have a better understanding of the ingredients and production of marijuana
and alcohol let’s look at the side-effects:
Are you surprised at the many similarities? None of which are healthy or safe. Not only are
these consequences preventable but using these drugs often exasperates these medical
conditions.
Are any of these disorders, impairments, diseases, or defects something you want to be
afflicted with? what about your children ? or future children?
http://www.phoenixhouse.org/news-and-views/our-perspectives/pot-vs-booze-no-choice-
at-all/
For openers, marijuana damages the heart and lungs, increases the incidence of anxiety,
depression, and schizophrenia, and can trigger acute psychotic episodes. While less than
ten percent of adult users become addicted to the drug—and, yes, pot is addictive—the
rate for teen users is 16 percent or one kid out of every six. -
http://www.phoenixhouse.org/news-and-views/our-perspectives/pot-vs-booze-no-choice-
at-all/#sthash.hrIYo1gr.dpuf
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14. 1. Many of these health issues are not reversible in other words often permeant and non-
repairable damage can be caused when using these drugs especially before the age of
25 when the brain is not fully developed.
2. Marijuana compromises learning, judgment, and memory are no small
matters during the adolescent years. And it can do lasting harm to the
brain itself, impairing the cognitive function of adolescents by disrupting
the normal development of the brain tissue known as “white matter,”
which is what brain cells need to communicate with each other. We should
add to this the recent and frightening discovery of lasting changes in the
“working memory” of adolescents due to heavy use of marijuana. These are
brain structures critical to memory and reasoning and are a source of ready
recall for basic information, like telephone numbers, and solutions to everyday
problems. The status of your child’s working memory is also a strong predictor of
academic achievement. - See more at: http://www.phoenixhouse.org/news-and-
views/our-perspectives/pot-vs-booze-no-choice-at-all/#sthash.hrIYo1gr.dpuf
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15. https://patients.aan.com/resources/neurologynow/index.cfm?event=home.showAr
ticle&id=ovid.com%3A%2Fbib%2Fovftdb%2F01222928-201107060-00008
Figure. Functional MRI scans of two teens while they took a working memory test.
The images show that the heavy drinker isn't using those brain areas normally used
to complete a memory test, while the non-drinker is. Researchers suggest that in
school, heavy drinkers may not be activating those regions of the brain required to
remember a lesson.
“Alcohol is a pretty ‘dirty’ drug in that it doesn't do just one thing,” says Dr.
Swartzwelder. “It's not like an antidepressant or an anti-anxiety medication that
binds with one type of receptor and leaves other receptors alone.” Instead, alcohol
interacts with and changes the functions of just about every type of chemical
receptor in the brain—even at a level of just two drinks. Some of these effects are
significantly stronger in adolescent brain cells than in adult brain cells.
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16. The circled area on the scan of the daily user (right) shows thinner corpus callosum
fibers than the scan of the non-user (left), indicating that there are white matter
integrity issues for the daily user. Poorer communication across different parts of
the brain that need to work together for proper cognitive function may be one
cause of cognitive disorders such as schizophrenia.
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17. Let’s look at the Pharmacokinetics or the study of the time course of drug absorptions,
distribution , metabolism and excretion.
Typically both alcohol and marijuana are absorbed quickly yet by different methods
and different metabolization.
the effects of cannabis vary more between individuals than they do with alcohol because of
tolerance, differences in smoking technique, and different absorptions of Δ9-
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2722956/
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18. Alcohol is eliminated from the body in a few hours, but THC stays in the body for
weeks, possibly months, depending on the length of time using, strength of pot and
frequency of usage. http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa35.htm
http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/alcoholism3.htm
1. When you take a drink, about 20 percent of the alcohol is absorbed in your
stomach; the remaining 80 percent is absorbed in your small intestine.
2. Alcohol is absorbed directly through the walls of the stomach and the small
intestine, goes into the bloodstream, and travels throughout the body and to
the brain. Alcohol is quickly absorbed and can be measured within 30 to 70
minutes after a person has had a drink.
3. As the alcohol acts upon the body, the body is simultaneously working to
remove it.
4. For alcohol, blood is a very good surrogate for what’s in the brain. Alcohol is a small,
water-soluble molecule that rapidly equilibrates its concentration throughout the
body. Therefore, what’s in the blood is in the brain and vice-versa.
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20. http://drugstestingbook.com/cannabinoids/cannabinoid-pharmacokinetics/
1. the effects of cannabis vary more between individuals than they do with alcohol
because of tolerance, differences in smoking technique, and different absorptions of
Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2722956/
2. Marijuana on the other hand is typically absorbed through inhaling smoke
although edibles (infused oil in food) are also a common occurrence today
especially where pot has been legalized. the potency, duration, and spacing of
puffs, hold time, and inhalation volume, all greatly influence the degree of drug
exposure.
3. When ingested absorption is slower with more delayed peak THC concentrations
this delay often results in people consuming more pot and causing exasperated
side-effects.
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21. 1. Smoked marijuana is enters the bloodstream almost instantly (even faster than alcohol)
HOWEVER there is lag time in THC effecting or impairing the brain and even longer for
edibles.
2. The level of THC in the bloodstream drops off rapidly while the brain remains
significantly impaired.
3. Organs in the body have fatty tissues that quickly absorb the THC in marijuana.
4. This is one of the major reason it is difficult to determine a minimum level of
impairment… basically any level of THC can impair your thinking, behaviors and
reactions.
• Detection of cannabinoids in urine is indicative of prior cannabis exposure, but
the long excretion half-life of THCCOOH in the body, especially in chronic
cannabis users, makes it difficult to predict the timing of past drug use.
• THC accumulates over time in fat depots in the body and is slowly released over
time.
• THC is highly lipid-soluble which explains its high concentrations in brain and body
tissues. Small to moderate doses are stored in tissues for long periods up to 2-3 weeks.
http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/178/2/101
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22. http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/marijuana-facts-teens/want-to-know-more-some-
faqs-about-marijuana
http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/does-marijuana-use-
affect-driving
http://www.infantrisk.com/content/effects-marijuana-fetus-and-breastfeeding-infants
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23. How do these drugs affect driving?
Marijuana affects timing, movement, and coordination, which can harm athletic
performance.
Muscle coordination becomes poor (e.g., balance, speech, vision, reaction time, and
hearing)
Harder to detect danger Judgment, self-control, reasoning, and memory are
impaired
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-10/cannabis-users-report-driving-under-
influence/6534368
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3137943/Marijuana-DOES-impair-driving-
kind-comprehensive-government-study-reveals-cannabis-use-affect-motor-skills-
three-drinks.html#ixzz3fVE2nZqe
http://healthland.time.com/2012/02/10/stoned-driving-nearly-doubles-the-risk-of-
a-fatal-crash/
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24. Although drunk driving deaths have dropped by more than half since 1982, they still
represent about one-third of all auto fatalities and kill about 11,000 people
annually.
More research is also needed on the impact of cannabis use on driving, motor vehicle
collisions, and traffic injuries and fatalities. Evidence shows that marijuana use impairs
cognitive function, reaction times, divided-attention tasks, and lane tracking, (36) all of
which impact driving ability. A recent National Highway Transportation Safety
Administration study found no significant increase in crash risk associated with the
presence of marijuana when controlling for age, gender, ethnicity and alcohol use.
However, several other studies have reported increased crash and culpability risks, even
after adjusting for such confounders as age, sex, risky behaviors, and polypharmacy.
http://www.asam.org/docs/default-source/publicy-policy-statements/marijuana-
cannabinoids-and-legalization-9-21-2015.pdf?sfvrsn=0
"Consistent with the past, in 2014 still only 47 percent of operators involved in traffic
deaths were tested for drug impairment." https://learnaboutsam.org/wp-
content/uploads/2015/09/2015-FINAL-LEGALIZATION-OF-MARIJUANA-IN-COLORADO-THE-
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25. IMPACT.pdf
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26. Can you tell which driver was drinking alcohol and which was smoking pot? People died in
both accidents. Which one is worse? Do you really think it matters to their families? Both
are suffering from a loss of a loved one. And their lives have been changed forever.
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27. Now let’s look at what happens when a person mixes alcohol and marijuana.
1. The risk associated with marijuana in combination with alcohol appears to be
greater than that for either drug by itself.
2. When people mix marijuana and alcohol together at one time, the results can
be unpredictable. The effects of either drug may be more powerful or the
combination may produce different and unpredictable reactions. -
http://learnaboutmarijuanawa.org/factsheets/alcohol.htm
3. Even at low doses the combination of alcohol and marijuana is dangerous and
places the drivers, their passengers and others on the road at serious risk.
4. When a person drinks too much alcohol, the body responds by vomiting in
order to rid itself of the excess alcohol. Since marijuana helps prevent
vomiting, the body may be unable to rid itself of dangerous toxins or an
individual may choke on the vomit that is produced.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/ending-addiction-good/201405/the-
dangers-combining-alcohol-and-marijuana
5. Magnified effects of using these substances together can be very unpredictable
and cause panic, anxiety, or terror to occur in people who use both substances
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28. in the same period.
6. In addition to the impairment of judgment, marijuana can make it possible to
drink alcohol until dangerously high BAC levels are reached. The same anti-
emetic properties that indicate marijuana as a treatment for nausea and vomiting
in medical conditions permit it to subvert the normal body defense of vomiting
when too much alcohol has been consumed.
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29. Now let’s look at what happens when a person mixes alcohol and marijuana. Exponentially
increases impairment
1. The risk associated with marijuana in combination with alcohol appears to be
greater than that for either drug by itself.
2. When people mix marijuana and alcohol together at one time, the results can
be unpredictable. The effects of either drug may be more powerful or the
combination may produce different and unpredictable reactions. -
http://learnaboutmarijuanawa.org/factsheets/alcohol.htm
3. When a person drinks too much alcohol, the body responds by vomiting in
order to rid itself of the excess alcohol. Since marijuana helps prevent
vomiting, the body may be unable to rid itself of dangerous toxins or an
individual may choke on the vomit that is produced.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/ending-addiction-good/201405/the-
dangers-combining-alcohol-and-marijuana
4. Magnified effects of using these substances together can be very unpredictable
and cause panic, anxiety, or terror to occur in people who use both substances
in the same period.
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30. 5. In addition to the impairment of judgment, marijuana can make it possible to
drink alcohol until dangerously high BAC levels are reached. The same anti-
emetic properties that indicate marijuana as a treatment for nausea and vomiting
in medical conditions permit it to subvert the normal body defense of vomiting
when too much alcohol has been consumed.
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31. NOTES:
While driving stoned is clearly risky — and combining marijuana with alcohol is
even more dangerous — drunk driving remains a bigger hazard on the road.
Based on the previous information it would be impossible to argue that driving
high on pot and alcohol would result in anything less than treacherous not only
for the driver & passengers but anyone driving near the path of this impaired
driver.
Combining marijuana with alcohol eliminates the ability to use such strategies effectively,
however, and results in impairment even at doses which would be insignificant were they
of either drug alone
http://healthland.time.com/2012/02/10/stoned-driving-nearly-doubles-the-risk-of-
a-fatal-crash/
http://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e536
http://www.rethinkpot.org/articles?field_tags_tid=All&field_tags_tid_1=car+accident
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/06/23/marijuana-drivers/29155165/
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32. The one benefit in legalizing pot is that statistics on the effects of marijuana such as health
consequences, fatalities and society costs to mention a few can now be directly linked to
marijuana usage.
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33. 1. 1 in 3 users are daily users
2. Black adults in Colorado are using at almost 50% higher than the state average
for adults; Hispanics have the lowest use rates
3. Low income Colorado adults are using at higher rates than the state average
4. Almost a third of 18-24 year olds are using marijuana
5. Almost a third of gay and lesbian adults are using marijuana - more than twice
the state average for adults
6. https://www.colorado.gov/cdphe/marijuanause
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34. 1. From 2006 to 2011, traffic fatalities decreased in Colorado 16 percent, but fatalities
involving drivers testing positive for marijuana increased 114 percent.
2. Almost 1 in five reported driving after using marijuana
3. Since marijuana has been legalized youth usage is 56% higher than the national
average
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37. 1. Short-term exposure to marijuana smoking is associated with bronchodilation, while
long-term marijuana smoking is associated with increased respiratory symptoms
suggestive of obstructive lung disease
2. Long–term use of the drug can contribute to respiratory infection, impaired memory,
and exposure to cancer-causing compounds. Of major importance among youth who
are heavy users of the drug is that its use is linked to increased risk for developing
mental illness and poorer cognitive functioning.
3. Alcohol does the most immediate and obvious physical & social damage.
4. One in six youth become addicted to marijuana and one in 25 adults who abuse
marijuana become addicted.
5. 61.8% of illicit drug users in 2010 stated their first drug was marijuana.
And yes, my friends, there are many problems associated with use of marijuana, such as
the risk of addiction, risk for vehicle crashes, emergency department visits, psychiatric
symptoms, poor quality of life, cognitive decline, and the use of other drugs.
Marijuana’s immediate effects include distorted perception, difficulty with thinking and
problems solving, and loss of motor coordination. Marijuana use can also cause space and
time distortion, delusional thinking, and even hallucinations.
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38. http://www.valleymorningstar.com/life/health_wellness/article_a6e15acc-8fe3-11e5-88f7-
fb6e7e189a4a.html
https://infographiclist.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/which-is-worse-for-you-alcohol-or-
marijuana_503d010128ff0.jpg
http://www.asam.org/docs/default-source/publicy-policy-statements/marijuana-
cannabinoids-and-legalization-9-21-
20156d6e0f9472bc604ca5b7ff000030b21a.pdf?sfvrsn=0#search="marijuana“
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39. 1. 52% of the population drink alcohol while only 9% use illicit drugs including marijuana.
This 9% of the population using illegal drugs such as heroin, cocaine and marijuana are
destroying families and our communities throughout our nation. Can our country
continue to legalize this life altering drug?
2. Alcohol abuse, a legal drug and therefore we have more data and statistics costs our
country at least $185 billion annually — which is also roughly 10 times the amount of
money state and federal governments collect from today’s alcohol tax (HHS)
3. Alcohol is legal and regulated. Its use is our nation’s No. 3 cause of preventable death,
behind diet related illness and tobacco.
1. http://www.datia.org/datia/eNews/2014/MJWhitePaper.pdf
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40. 1. As states continue to legalized marijuana many are finding this high comes at a
significant cost to communities, families individuals and businesses
2. http://www.rethinkpot.org/sites/default/files/2015%208%20The%20Legalization%20of
%20Marijuana%20in%20Colorado.pdf
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41. Legalization does not make a drug safe, keep it out of our children’s hands nor truly
regulate distribution. The facts and data from states that have legalized marijuana for ANY
reason are beginning to substantiate what science has said for years- The marijuana plant is
not a medicine but a destructive drug. As states continue to legalized marijuana many are
finding this high comes at a significant cost to communities, families individuals and
businesses.- Look how alcohol has affected our nation. Is marijuana legalization worth the
risk?
Riskier full of the possibility of danger, failure, or loss.
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42. http://www.no2pot.org/
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