Cannabis vs Alcohol : Who Really Wins the Fight for Your Body?

Spoiler alert: it's not the one you've always been warned about.

When you grow up in Europe, you often hear: “Alcohol is normal, weed is dangerous.”

Except that when you look at what the studies actually say, the truth is somewhat reversed.

Today, we compare without filters. Not to judge, but to understand.

🧠 1. The brain : one destroys, the other disrupts (but also protects)

🍷 Alcohol: a pure and simple neurotoxin

Alcohol literally kills neurons. It also reduces the size of several areas of the brain, including :

• the hippocampus (memory)

• the prefrontal cortex (decision-making, impulsivity)

• the cerebellum (coordination)

  
  

Regular consumption = ✔ memory loss ✔ cognitive impairment ✔ impulsiveness ✔ decline in IQ among young people

✔ risk of neurodegenerative disease

For the brain, alcohol is not a “pleasure”: it is poison. 🌿 Cannabis: cognitive effects, but no direct neuron destruction

Cannabis doesn’t directly kill neurons.But it can lead to:

• short-term memory issues

• reduced attention

• lower motivation (for some people)

• higher risk of anxiety or psychosis in vulnerable individuals
  

👉 Some cannabis compounds (like CBD) may have potential neuroprotective effects, but that doesn’t cancel out the risks linked to high THC use. 👉 For teens, regular use can slow brain development.

In short : Alcohol = proven neurotoxicity Cannabis = reversible cognitive effects, but not harmless

❤️‍🩹 2. The body : two completely opposite trajectories

🍷 Alcohol : major organ damage

With regular use, alcohol can cause :

• cancers (liver, breast, mouth, throat…)

• cirrhosis

• high blood pressure

• heart disease

• sleep disorders

• chronic inflammation
  

It is classified as a known carcinogen (Group 1). It’s classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, the same category as asbestos and tobacco.

🌿 Cannabis : lower physical risks, but still real ones

Cannabis doesn’t have the same organ toxicity as alcohol, but :

• smoking it (combustion) harms the lungs

• heavy use can trigger chronic nausea (cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome)

• daily use can affect mental health
  

❗ No proven cancer link from THC ❗ No alcohol-like organ damage ❗ No lethal overdose

👉 The risk depends heavily on how it’s consumed (smoked vs. vaporized).

⚠️ 3. Behavior : disinhibition vs mild impairment

🍷 Alcohol

It’s the substance most associated with :

• violence

• accidents

• dangerous behavior

• risky decisions

• sexual assault

• road deaths
  

The brain becomes disinhibited, and problems follow.

🌿 Cannabis

Usually associated with:

• slower reactions

• reduced coordination

• impaired driving

• anxiety or paranoia in some people

Less aggression than alcohol, but still not compatible with driving or high-precision tasks.

🔄 4. Addiction: which one hooks harder?

🍷 Alcohol

Highly addictive. Withdrawal can be dangerous or even fatal (tremors, seizures, delirium).

This is a strong physical dependence.

🌿 Cannabis

Psychological dependence is possible. Withdrawal isn’t physically dangerous, but can include :

• irritability

• sleep problems

• anxiety

  
  

👉 About 1 in 10 regular users develops a dependency.

🧭 Conclusion : two different substances, two different risk profiles

The goal isn’t to decide “which one is better,” but to understand how each substance affects you.

✔ Alcohol is generally more toxic to the body and brain ✔ Cannabis has mainly cognitive and mental health risks ✔ Neither is “harmless” ✔ How you consume makes a huge difference (amount, frequency, age, method)

The real question isn’t :

👉 “Which is the safest?”

But :

👉 “How can I reduce the risks of either substance based on how I use it?”

The information presented in this article has been gathered from various reliable sources available on the Internet, and we have taken care to cross-reference this information to provide a comprehensive overview. We do not guarantee the absolute accuracy of the data, as we are not the authors or sponsors of the research mentioned. We encourage you to conduct your own research to verify and further explore this information.