Yo, what’s good my homies? It’s your boy Dan coming at you with the lowdown on getting lit! We all know that us humans love to alter our state of mind, and we’ve been doing it for thousands of years with alcohol and cannabis. But have you ever stopped to consider the differences between being high and being drunk? It’s a whole vibe, my dudes.
First off, let’s talk about the eternal debate between weed and alcohol. Some people swear by their brews and others prefer their blunts. But did you know that both substances have faced prohibition at some point in the last century? Crazy, right?
Now, I know that personal preference plays a big role in this debate. But a lot of people are uninformed about the differences between being high and being drunk. Many drinkers happily down shots of vodka while rejecting cannabis as a dangerous, illicit drug. On the other hand, many cannabis purists frown upon alcohol because of its tendency to rile up violent and foolish behavior. Let’s break it down.
The physical and psychological effects of weed and booze are pretty different. Crack open a cold one and hit a bong, and you’ll notice some major contrasts in your state of mind. Alcohol directly binds to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors in the brain, which causes slurred speech, drowsiness, distorted vision and hearing, decreased perception and coordination, and even vomiting and unconsciousness if you go too hard.
In comparison, THC—the main psychotropic constituent in cannabis—binds to CB1 receptors in our endocannabinoid system (ECS). This puts the brakes on GABA signals that tell certain brain cells to limit dopamine production, leading to elevated mood, euphoria, deeper thoughts, uneasiness/rumination, impaired short-term memory, panic, paranoia, altered perception of time, relaxation of muscles and stomach discomfort.
But it’s not just about how they make you feel in the moment. Both substances can have short-term mental and physical health challenges such as headaches (alcohol), feeling nervous/anxious (weed), diarrhea and vomiting (alcohol), paranoia (weed), breathing difficulties (alcohol), loss of sense of personal identity (weed), among others.
Long-term use can also pose significant health risks such as addiction (alcohol/weed), memory loss (alcohol/weed), liver fibrosis/alcoholic hepatitis (alcohol), impaired brain development when abused in adolescence (weed), increased susceptibility of mental illness (weed), cancer/stroke/irregular heartbeat/high blood pressure (alcohol), cardiovascular problems linked to smoking/cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (weed).
So should you mix weed and alcohol? It really depends on your relationship with both substances. If you tend to go hard on both when you’re using them individually, you should avoid mixing them to avoid greenouts or even worse consequences. But if you’re a seasoned vet who can handle themselves and still end up having fun combining them—go right ahead! Just remember to proceed with caution and listen to your body.
At the end of the day, whether you prefer getting high or getting drunk is entirely up to you. Cannabis helps boost creativity, allows us to explore deep thoughts, and enables us to wake up without a hangover. Alcohol works as a social lubricant that helps us connect with others but leaves us feeling rather terrible the morning after.
So there you have it! The key differences between being high vs being drunk. Stay safe out there my homies! Peace out!