Ask a Doctor: Is marijuana as bad for me as alcohol? - The Washington Post

From a aesculapian standpoint, determination is nary level of intoxicant usage that is wholly safe, arsenic studies person shown harms adjacent with airy drinking.

If my diligent drinks daily, I counsel that they trim their drinking. If they can’t trim their drinking contempt trying, I connection treatments to assistance chopped backmost oregon stop: Many radical are amazed to larn that determination are 3 FDA-approved medications (naltrexone, acamprosate and disulfiram) that assistance with drinking less, and that behavioral treatments — idiosyncratic oregon radical therapy — are likewise effective.

In presumption of cannabis, I archer my patients that we inactive aren’t definite if there’s a harmless level of use, but that successful general, scientists see predominant and higher-THC usage to beryllium riskier.

If my patients are utilizing cannabis, I inquire them if they’re utilizing it for a aesculapian crushed and suggest alternatives that person much rigorous technological support. If they’re inactive readying connected using, I counsel against smoking and vaping to support their lungs, and I suggest utilizing products with debased concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) oregon trying cannabidiol (CBD) instead.

THC and cannabidiol (CBD) are 2 of the progressive ingredients successful cannabis: THC, the psychoactive constituent that makes radical consciousness “high,” has been associated with much wellness risks. I suggest they effort edible CBD products with a THC contented of little than 5 percent — with the caveat that edibles tin participate the strategy much dilatory and unpredictably, truthful patients should commencement debased and spell dilatory if they program to summation the dose.

One crushed we cognize little astir the harm of cannabis comparative to intoxicant is that — until precocious — cannabis usage was amerciable successful galore states. Now, arsenic the fig of radical utilizing cannabis is increasing, we volition person a amended knowing of the imaginable risks utilizing studies successful which we travel ample groups of radical who usage cannabis and those who don’t implicit time.

Similar observational studies implicit decades person been captious to our existent cognition basal regarding alcohol. We besides request randomized, controlled trials to recognize the imaginable benefits of antithetic cannabinoid compounds.

If you’re considering utilizing intoxicant oregon cannabis, present are a fewer things to support successful mind:

Some of my patients judge that drinking vino is beneficial and reduces their hazard of a bosom attack. But new research has challenged the thought that determination is immoderate cardiovascular payment to mean drinking.

It is wide that dense drinking is associated with aggregate cardiovascular risks, including hypertension, changeable and bosom failure. Long-term dense drinking is besides linked with other superior wellness conditions, specified arsenic slump and dementia. In addition, intoxicant is simply a carcinogen, and mean drinking is associated with an accrued hazard of aggregate types of cancer. Even airy drinking — fractional a portion a time — is associated with a mild summation successful the incidence of bosom crab successful women and colorectal crab successful men.

Alcohol tin origin driving accidents and contributes to assaults and suicide. In ample doses, it tin adjacent origin respiratory slump and death.

Cannabis doesn’t origin respiratory depression, truthful it doesn’t origin what we deliberation of arsenic an “overdose.” But usage of high-potency cannabis has been associated with acute psychosis and, successful immoderate cases, this has resulted successful decease oregon suicide.

Contrary to fashionable belief, it is imaginable to go physically babelike connected cannabis oregon make a cannabis usage disorder. Individuals with predominant cannabis usage whitethorn turn babelike and acquisition withdrawal symptoms erstwhile they chopped down oregon halt use. Individuals who usage cannabis successful a mode that causes important impairment whitethorn person a cannabis usage disorder. These individuals whitethorn request attraction to assistance with cutting down oregon stopping use.

Only 3 drugs containing cannabinoids person been approved by the FDA: Dronabinol and nabilone incorporate synthetic THC and tin beryllium utilized to dainty nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy among patients who haven’t responded to different drugs; CBD is being utilized to dainty rare forms of puerility epilepsy; and dronabinol is besides approved to dainty anorexia owed to AIDS. Studies suggest that cannabis extracts whitethorn beryllium utile successful managing symptom and spasticity from aggregate sclerosis, and that cannabinoids whitethorn beryllium effectual successful the management of neuropathic pain.

Though communal selling practices — and countless anecdotal reports — tout cannabis arsenic a proven attraction for anxiety, pain, insomnia and more, each these claims require further research until we tin marque steadfast recommendations. Cannabis usage whitethorn really marque the attraction of depression much difficult.

But we shouldn’t conflate the imaginable therapeutic uses of pharmaceutical-grade cannabis with products sold successful dispensaries. Many products successful dispensaries whitethorn person contaminants, may not really incorporate CBD and whitethorn beryllium precocious successful THC concentration.

A fewer years ago, my diligent had a bosom attack. It was somewhat unexpected due to the fact that helium was steadfast and physically active. While I had documented that helium wasn’t a baccy smoker, fixed the caller bosom attack, I asked him again: “Do you smoke?”

He said no. Then helium paused and clarified that helium didn’t fume tobacco. But helium did fume cannabis each time aft enactment and had for years. While the disposable grounds is limited, some studies suggest that cannabis use, similar baccy use, is associated with heart attacks.

We request studies that analyse the wellness effects of smoking cannabis daily, due to the fact that regular usage of cannabis is becoming much common among young adults and aggregate studies person reported individuals who usage it regular are astatine higher risks of adverse wellness effects.

Our probe radical conducted respective systematic reviews of literature. We recovered that smoking cannabis was associated with coughing, wheezing and testicular cancer.

I’m besides acrophobic astir older patients who instrumentality aggregate medications and usage cannabis, fixed constricted information connected however the 2 interact. Cannabis usage is expanding among older adults but determination is precise constricted information connected its effects successful this group.

Given the disposable evidence, I don’t urge intoxicant usage oregon cannabis usage to my patients for immoderate aesculapian oregon psychiatric conditions.

Proponents of cannabis similar to accidental that it’s “natural,” truthful it can’t beryllium atrocious for us. We should retrieve that baccy is besides a “natural” leafy greenish plant. It had been utilized for thousands of years. Yet successful the 20th century, the baccy manufacture designed highly addictive products and incited a worldwide epidemic successful baccy addiction and consequent cancer, cardiovascular and lung disease.

It’s wide what excessive drinking tin bash to our bodies and minds. It’s excessively soon to accidental what effect commercialized cannabis — and its pervasive usage — volition person connected our health.

Salomeh Keyhani is simply a prof of medicine astatine the University of California astatine San Francisco.