COLUMBIA, MO. -- KRCG News has been telling you about a statewide group that wants to legalize and tax marijuana in Missouri.
Ever since our story first aired on Monday, our Facebook page has blown up with hundreds of comments.
Which is more dangerous, alcohol or pot?
According to Missouri law, it appears marijuana is more dangerous than alcohol. Alcohol is legal in the Show-Me State and pot is not. Despite the law, a recent study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse shows alcohol is more lethal and toxic than marijuana. Another study by the Office of National Drug Control Policy said alcohol is safer because marijuana’s active chemical THC stays in the body for weeks, while alcohol disappears from your system in only a few hours.
Administrators with Mizzou’s Wellness Resource Center said there is no correct answer to the question, which is more dangerous, marijuana or alcohol? They say it all depends on the individual. Mizzou researchers said, comparing the dangers of marijuana and alcohol is like comparing bad apples and bad oranges.
MU Wellness Resource Center Director Kim Dude said, “Here, you have tobacco, alcohol and marijuana. All three of them have negative consequences to them. Two of them are legal. One of them isn’t. Why in the world would we say, the other two are legal, so let’s make this one legal? It would be the classic saying, two wrongs do not make a right.”
Federal health statistics show there are about 85,000 alcohol-related deaths every year, and no marijuana-related deaths. People wanting to keep the drug illegal say those numbers would change since marijuana would be easier to get, if pot was legal.
So what do you think?
Is marijuana safer than alcohol?
Give us your thoughts in the comment section below.
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