A cannabis research study published in Psychology & Sexuality found regret after sex is more commonly associated with alcohol than marijuana or ecstasy.
Due to the acceptance of in society, alcohol is often accepted by most people. Substances such as cannabis have been demonized, and are more likely to be victims of reefer madness.
Cannabis Research Shows Alcohol Is Riskier
“A lot of studies suggest that the use of various drugs increases the chances for sexually risky behavior. But few have examined the actual sexual effects of drugs,” said Joseph J. Palamar of New York University, the cannabis research study’s author.
Cannabis researchers visited nightclubs and dance festivals in New York City to survey 679 attendees. They asked them about their use of alcohol, marijuana, and ecstasy. The participants were 18-25 years old.
The study’s results yielded that alcohol was more likely than marijuana or ecstasy to make people feel more attractive and more attracted to others. Alcohol was also more commonly associated with regret after sex. People have lowered inhibitions with alcohol, unlike cannabis and even other drugs.
“Whether or not someone uses a condom while high is important. However, limiting research to this behavior really ignores the actual sexual responses associated with drug use. That may in fact influence one’s decision to have sex with or without a condom.”
“Alcohol is likely the riskiest as use is not only so common, but also promoted throughout much of society.”
Cannabis researchers admitted the “use of multiple drugs at the same time is also common in this population. So it may have been difficult for some users to distinguish between effects of different drugs. Many drugs can also affect memory. So recall of sexual experiences could have been impaired.”
“Each drug is associated with its own level of sexual risk,” Palamar said, as reported by PsyPost. “Alcohol is likely the riskiest as use is not only so common. But also promoted throughout much of society.”
“Even if sex itself isn’t risky while on alcohol. Post-sex regret is extremely common as users may hook up with someone they normally wouldn’t have sex with,” he added.
Another Study Confirms Alcohol Far Worse Than Cannabis
Another cannabis research study at the University of Colorado examined the brains of more than 1,000 participants. They found long-term alcohol use is much more damaging to the brain than marijuana. That contradicts years of cannabis research conducted during cannabis prohibition.
— Heady NJ (@Heady_NJ) February 19, 2018
Gray and white matter are the two main types of tissue that make up the brain and central nervous system. Gray matter is the “stuff”—the cell bodies, dendrites and axon terminals—that enable functionality. White matter, then, is how the grey matter communicates between clusters. Any loss of size or integrity in either can make the brain not work quite like it should.
The study found that alcohol use was significantly associated with a decrease in gray matter size and white matter integrity, particularly for adults who may have decades of exposure. Marijuana and associated cannabinoid products, on the other hand, were not shown to have any long-term impact on the amount of gray matter in the brain or on the integrity of the white matter.
The research demonstrated that, “while marijuana may also have some negative consequences, it definitely is nowhere near the negative consequences of alcohol,” according to Hutchison.
While reefer madness continues to linger and grow in our communities, it is clear that alcohol is the drug that more often leads to regret and impacts the brain more than cannabis.
From your experience, what do you think?
