President’s Position on Marijuana vs Alcohol

According to a recent news report the president of the United States has an interesting take on marijuana when compared with alcohol.

Our Los Angeles marijuana lawyers know marijuana advocates are interested to know that the President of the United States does not think marijuana is any more harmful than alcohol.

When the president talks, many people tend to pay attention but some may wonder. Is he correct? What is his stance on marijuana really, and have his administration’s polices reflected his seemingly relaxed attitude toward recreational and medicinal cannabis.

The President said in a recent interview that he still views marijuana as a bad habit but he likens the habit to smoking cigarettes and not indicative of some larger serious drug problem.

There are a great deal of opinions on pot use out there and many experts have debated the topic of marijuana use and its larger implications on a user.

However, another interesting topic of discussion is comparing marijuana use to other drugs, like alcohol for example. Many would agree that alcohol has been responsible for its fair share of family problems and has certainly been responsible for disastrous and tragic outcomes when mixed with getting behind the wheel.

Nevertheless, some might say alcohol has maintained an interesting “free pass” when it comes to public acceptance. Everyone would agree that it should be used in moderation but would the same number of people agree that marijuana is “ok” in moderation?

Experts agree that alcohol can be beneficial when consumed in moderation. For example, a lot of research suggests that up to two drinks a day can lead to longevity. But when it comes to over use – that’s when alcohol can be a major problem.

Many experts would also agree that more people suffer from alcoholism, than suffer from overuse of marijuana.

In addition, when comparing alcohol it is always true that any level of impairment behind the wheel can have tragic consequences.

The two substances differ markedly when it comes to consistent safe use. For example, no threshold for “continued acceptable use” has really been established for marijuana (like two drinks a day for alcohol).

When it comes to substantial overuse marijuana it is difficult to compare. Particularly when looking at the President’s point of view – marijuana available today is much different than marijuana that was available when the President may have partaken.

Now the delivery system for marijuana have changed. Marijuana can be ingested via baked goods or inhaled through the use of a vaporizer which greatly reduces, or even eliminates the amount of tar inhaled when more traditional methods are used.

Regardless of which side of the debate the president claims to fall under, and which side you may fall under, the current state of marijuana law is a moving target. It can be hard to know what is legal with jurisdictions changing and modifying their laws, and the federal government flip flopping on its own enforcement.

The Los Angeles CANNABIS LAW Group represents growers, dispensaries, collectives, patients and those facing marijuana charges. Call us at 949-375-4734.
More Blog Entries:

Marijuana DUI an Increasing Threat Amid Legalization Efforts, January 1, 2014, Los Angeles Marijuana Lawyer Blog
California: City Council to Review Bill Allowing Dispensaries , December 29, 2013, Los Angeles Marijuana Lawyer Blog