Coca-Cola vs. Marijuana

Active Ingredient Sugar, high fuctose corn syrup, caffeine THC Associated Health Risks Obesity, slower immune system, dissolving bone and teeth, leading cause of childhood diabetes and obesity Short term impairment, long term effects have been debated but never proven, no fatal health risks Addictive Chemicals High fructose corn syrup and caffeine are extremely addictive chemicals No addictive chemicals, though psychological addiction is possible Carcinogens Coloring, flavor additives, artificial sweeteners None Medical Use Doctors recommend zero soda consumption Used to treat patients suffering from cancer, glaucoma, AIDS, etc. Availability Sold in public schools Illegal (though also sold in public schools)

Prohibitionists in government have always said that marijuana is illegal because it is not safe. This is an outright lie. Marijuana is safer than many, if not most, of the products surrounding us.

There is plenty of proof that marijuana is safer than many common and legal products, such as peanuts. In the interest of simplicity, let’s compare marijuana with one of the most common products in America. A product that is legally marketed to children and sold in school hallways: soda.

Caffeine is a drug, and quite an addictive one, as most Americans are well aware. “It is estimated that in North America between 80 and 90 percent of adults and children habitually consume caffeine” according to caffeinedependence.org. Caffeine can cause sleep and anxiety disorders, as well as withdrawal. So, marijuana is safer than caffeine.

Sugar is also very bad for us, mainly because we consume too much of it. While considered a food rather than a drug, there have been attempts to reclassify sugar. Sugar definitely affects the body and mind. It can cause mood swings, cavities and even diabetes. Those that drink diet soda are probably damaging themselves even more, as most artificial sweeteners are carcinogenic. So, marijuana is safer than sugar or artificial sweeteners.

The next time anyone tells you that marijuana is dangerous, just tell them that it’s safer than soda or coffee. This is the kind of information that will open people’s eyes to the fact that cannabis never should have been outlawed to begin with. I’d like to end this brief article with a quote from the sugar reclassification report referenced above:

We tend to label prescriptive drugs as being good drugs, and drugs taken for the sole purpose of pleasure, such as heroin and alcohol, as bad drugs. This qualitative distinction is not based on scientific or medical reasoning, but rather on arbitrary religious and cultural beliefs or political and historical factors.

Table Source: thazing.com