Pediatrician Makes the Case for Pot Being Safer Than Alcohol

pot plants

When faced with the question of whether you’d rather your child use alcohol or marijuana, most parents would naturally say neither. Pediatrician, professor and parent Aaron E. Carroll debated the question for himself for the New York Times and came to the conclusion that when forced to make a decision, he would rather his children use pot. This comes weeks after a study was published in Scientific Reports which stated that it is 114 times safer to smoke weed than it is to drink alcohol.

Its easy to demonize marijuana because it’s illegal, explains Carroll. It is also linked to lower academic achievement, less success later in life and, according to some, risk of psychosis. When we look at the effects of pot, no matter how bad they can be, in comparison to alcohol there is no comparison.

Alcohol use is a factor in 40 percent of of all violent crimes in the U.S., including 37 percent of rapes and 27 percent of aggravated assaults. Sure, people who use marijuana are committing crimes and being arrested, but that has to do with distribution or the simple fact that it’s illegal. Those smoking pot aren’t committing violent crimes or even being killed by the effects of marijuana, while 1,800 college students die every year from alcohol-related problems. [New York Times][Photo: Flickr/Brett Levin]