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AlterNet reports
A new report, by the journal Scientific Reports,[1] finds that marijuana is far safer than other recreational drugs, including and especially alcohol.
Pot may be as much as 114 times safer than booze, say the researchers. The study also maintains that past research into alcohol has systematically underestimated the risks associated with its use.
The study sought to quantify the risk of death associated with the use of common recreational drugs. Alcohol, they found, was the deadliest substance, followed by heroin and cocaine. The safest drug was marijuana; it was also the only drug in the study that had a low mortality risk for users.
Unlike other studies into drug toxicity, the study did not use historical death counts associated with recreational drug used to come to its findings. Instead, the study weighed the potential lethal doses of a substance compared with the amount a typical user might consume. Booze posed the greatest risk to its users when comparing a fatal dose to typical recreational use.
This is not the first study to find that marijuana is significantly safer than other recreational drugs, including booze. A 2003 study by the School of Behavioral and Organizational Science at Claremont Graduate University produced similar results and rankings.(PDF)
[1] The link in the article is crap.
(Score: 0, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 28 2015, @04:08AM
I have always preferred alcohol to weed, just a personal preference after enough experience to make that determination. My one BAAAD experience was going to a party with my pot smoking room mate who wanted to "convert" me to his "side". At his bidding I smoked some hash oil, which (IIRC) is weed boiled to make it more concentrated. I freaked out, blacked out, and the next thing I remember I was drooling all over myself and hugging a lamp post outside in 10 degree weather. The few people who walked by would stare at me and then move on. I could not let go under my own power. I could not form a sentence with my stoned mouth to ask for help. Lucky for me one of my fraternity brothers walked by and recognized me and carried me to his nearby apartment and dropped me on his couch. Otherwise (in all odds) they would have had to chisel frozen me off that lamp post the next morning. So, yeah, middle aged now and beer is my poison of choice. And under very certain circumstances IMO pot can indeed kill.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 28 2015, @05:13AM
Sounds similar to what would happen if someone who has never had alcohol before went all in with a fresh bottle of Everclear.
Excess with anything leads to bad situations and circumstances. In this case, you had no tolerance, so it was a bad idea to go for anything "more concentrated" or potent.
(Score: 2) by SlimmPickens on Saturday February 28 2015, @06:04AM
It's finely chopped weed gently simmered in oil, the oil dissolves most of the volatiles. It is more concentrated than weed.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 28 2015, @07:31AM
Is that you Maureen Dowd? [bbc.com]