Cannabidiol And Alcohol: A Comparative Analysis

Folks worldwide use a wide range of drugs for recreational and euphoric purposes. Some of them have multiple beneficial purposes, while others do no good to our body. Today, we’ll compare and contrast the two most important drugs, cannabidiol and alcohol, used worldwide for various purposes.

Cannabidiol obtained from the Cannabis plant is a nonpsychoactive drug occurring naturally, with therapeutic uses amounting to many. The THC (abbreviated as tetrahydrocannabinol) content of CBD oil is considerably less than other products derived from the Cannabis plant. Therefore, CBD tends not too high with a narrow range of safety.

On the other hand, alcohol is one of the beverages popular worldwide for recreational and ecstatic purposes. Alcohol contains ethanol, a type of alcohol obtained by fermentation of certain fruits like grapes and other sugars. Alcohol is legal within a precisely certain band of safety, beyond which it causes a sizeable degree of irreversible damage.

Benefits Of Cannabidiol

Cannabidiol, a botanical compound, has miraculous effects overall when used in a specific therapeutic dose. Few researchers have confirmed that it is an esteemed safer one even in large amounts. A few of the most important beneficial effects of Cannabidiol are as follows:

Alleviating pain is one of the worth-mentioning abilities of cannabidiol in a variety of diseases. It assists in conditions associated with acute to chronic pain like arthritis and multiple sclerosis. 

CBD has a peculiar effect on chemotherapy-induced symptoms like nausea, vomiting, etc. Few research types have been conducted to know whether it suppresses the secondary spread of tumors or not, but no explicit evidence has been presented to date.

CBD has got its recognition worldwide due to its significant antipsychotic effects in disorders like anxiety and depression, relieving the patient to lead an everyday life.

Maintaining the health of vital organs like the heart and decreasing blood pressure in our circulatory system is another distinctive CBD feature. This way, it helps to cope with diseases like myocardial infarction, etc.

The effects of CBD in neurodegenerative diseases like epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinsonism are well appreciated and well-known. Hence, they are declared as neuroprotective.

Cannabidiol has a diverse range of medicinal effects, while alcohol, on the other hand, hardly has any practical or therapeutic importance. Rather it devitalizes the individual consuming it. Alcohol as a marketing product is available in fermented drinks like beer to highly potent vodka.

Benefits Of Alcohol

Rarely, alcohol causes any beneficial effects; therefore, it cannot be termed a trouble-free drink. While consuming it, due care is advisable. Few of its beneficial effects areas:

Raises High-density lipoprotein content in the body, considered good cholesterol, and has a protective effect. Besides, it lowers blood pressure which is a significant risk factor for cardiac diseases. Hence, it decreases the risk of certain heart diseases when consumed in a moderate dose while raising the risk when utilized heavily. 

Fibrinogen, a clotting precursor, also diminishes during alcohol intake in mild to moderate doses, rendering an overall protective effect in the circulatory system assisting in smooth and composed blood flow.

The risk of certain debilitating mental conditions like stress and anxiety reduces to a certain extent.

The risk of type-2 Diabetes mellitus is significantly decreases through modest alcoholic consumption, characterized by reduced uptake of glucose by the cells, a phenomenon termed as ‘insulin resistance.’

Drawbacks Of CBD

Cannabidiol, a specific product with a wide range of helpful influences, a safer and well-tolerated compound, carries a few drawbacks. 

They are as follows:

• Dry mouth
• Decreased appetite
• Changes in weight
• Diarrhea 
• Giddiness 
• Fatigue and drowsiness 
• Drastically lower blood pressure

Drawbacks Of Alcohol Consumption

On the contrary, with its limited applications, alcohol has a diverse range of disadvantages that unpleasantly affects health. The same medicinal purposes of alcohol can progress to irreversible damages in our body. Those note-worthy drawbacks of alcohol are as follows:

The liver is the main organ where the metabolism of alcohol takes place. Heavy alcohol consumption causes the liver inflame, swell, and be tender. Slowly and gradually, liver cells (hepatocytes) die and are scar tissue replaces it, leading to a condition known as liver cirrhosis. It is a progressive and irreversible condition with damage beyond repair.

The brain is another vital organ of our body experiences devitalizing effects of binge drinking. It impairs judgment capability, causes staggered gait, short-term memory loss termed as amnesia, involuntary urination, and hangover effects in the morning like headache, nausea, vomiting. In severe cases, it causes eminent impairment of brain functions and deems it impossible for an individual to lead an everyday and independent life.

“Too much alcohol is destructive.“

Alcohol reduces anxiety and stress disorders when consumed appropriately, but the relief lasts not long. An alcohol abuser suffers from severe mental depression and anxiety, which destroys overall mental health.

Binge drinking is a significant risk factor for cancer. This is characterized by abnormal growth of cells in the body, especially oral cavity (mouth), throat, colon, and liver cancer. The more you consume alcohol, the high is the risk of developing cancer.

Alcohol is strictly prohibited in pregnant women because it not only induces spontaneous abortion. Apart from that, it is also the culprit for causing various congenital disabilities. Such include abnormal development of the fetus, impaired growth, reduced intellect, and strange behavior.

High alcohol consumption is associated with dependence and addiction characterized by severe cravings for alcohol and an inability to restrain oneself from its use. 

Additionally, heavy drinking causes an increase in overall body weight, and the person appears obese. In contrast, mild to moderate drinking may also promote weight gain. 

Bottom Line

Cannabinoids, although obtained from the Cannabis plant, have less abuse and addiction liability in contrast to alcohol, which is notorious for its abuse properties. This article contrasted and compared CBD and alcohol, their practical uses, and abuses. CBD has got an edge over alcohol due to its excellent medicinal and therapeutic applications being a non-psychoactive compound, with very few restricted drawbacks.