In a presumed attempt to show pot is safer than alcohol, it’s the rapper who comes off worse for wear

Snoop Dogg is facing a backlash on social media after posting what appeared to be a “case” for the safety of marijuana versus alcohol consumption.

On Instagram, the rapper and entrepreneur posted photos of both himself and UK football legend Paul Gascoigne (aka “Gazza”) — one taken at the age of 20, the other 27 years later. The difference between the two men, one a longtime cannabis advocate, the other a self-professed alcoholic, is stark.

Less clear is why Snoop chose Gascoigne to make his point. The former manager, coach and footballer has very publicly struggled with both addiction and mental health issues. In his autobiographies Being Gazza: Tackling My Demons: My Journey to Hell and Back (2006), and Gazza: My Story (2005), he writes about battles with bipolar disorder, bulimia and alcoholism.

Did Snoop cross a line? Many believe so, especially Piers Morgan, who tweeted, “This is nasty. Shame on you.” Others merely shrugged. “It’s Snoop. What do you expect?” Twitter user David Best wrote.

For his part, Gazza didn’t hold back either. In reply to Snoop’s post, he tweeted:

As for rapper’s assumed point, that pot is less harmful than booze, Dr. Amy Porath, the director of research at the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, in a 2018 Macleans report was quoted saying: “I get this question a lot. The reality is there are risks and harms with both substances, and I don’t think you can compare them. It’s like apples and oranges.”

While no documented deaths have been linked to marijuana use, more than 30,700 Americans died from alcohol-induced causes in 2014, Business Insider reports.

Want to keep up to date on what’s happening in the world of cannabis? Subscribe to the Cannabis Post newsletter for weekly insights into the industry, what insiders will be talking about and content from across the Postmedia Network.