Alcohol and cannabis

Okay so firstly I would like to remind the readers that the argument was 'alcohol is far worse for the individual and society than cannabis'. This is not limited to this time, this society and these people. This means what it says, 'better for the individual and society (s), than alcohol'. So my opponents arguments about drug cartels and gateway phenomena are not relevant, because they do not exist as a result of cannabis being used by the individual or society. They result from the stigmatisation of cannabis which is what I am arguing against. Gateway drug. As I have said above, all your arguments in this section, are irrelevant if cannabis was not stigmatised. The only one that isn't, is your claim that trill seekers will use cannabis and then want something more. Yes there will always be thrill seekers, but I'm sure if cannabis wasn't there they wouldn't just not try anything else, its absurd. Cannabis is not exactly a trill seekers choice of drug either, its ludercrus. Anyone with any actual knowledge on this matter, that has not only read books and looked at government funded, frankly weak scientific research done by people who are just as inexperienced as themselves, will tell you that cnnabis is simply not a gateway drug. Indeed anyone with half a mind for psychology and society will tell you that there is not such thing as a 'gateway drug' and that it is so much more complicated than that. It's a textbook argument that has been better understood for along time now. You say: "my opponent has no specific response to the Yale study which found that marijuana use made the use of prescription painkillers more likely." Again you must look deeper into the research, this is a correlation, not a causation. Even any science student, will know the difference. I hope I don't have to waste characters explaining this concept, I will just hope the audience understand it. Brain damage I am a psychology graduate and I have done ample research into genes and brain chemisty, let me tell you that there is no such thing as conclusive evidence in that department. You clearly have a very limited understanding of biology and brain chemisty. Also you don't seem to look at research in a scientifically critical way, you cannot ignore the fact that it is impossible to study someone who has smoked weed heavily their whole life without studying someone who would choose to smoke weed their whole life heavily. So you can never say that weed caused the problem because the individual clearly was out of the ordinary to begin with. Again, correlation not causation. For example you say it 'causes' schizophrenia, based on demographics that show a higher number of people who smoke cannabis get schizophrenia than in the general population. Roughly 1% of population suffer from schizophrenia, but 1 third of homeless people suffer from schizophrenia. So, does being homeless cause schizophrenia? Or does a schizophrenic personality increase the likelihood of becoming homeless, for I believe the latter. And this is the same for cannabis, the correlation does not prove causation. Also, cannabis use as a habit can alter your outlook on life, it alters what you do whilst under the influence. It can encourage you to seclude (this is because of its stigmatisation in my opinion, as it is not seen in other cultures) which is number1 cause of depression and thus skitzophenia and other irregular ways of thinking. If you smoke it all the time and keep a job and have people around you that accept you for it you will not be effected at all. I have no scientific research to quote, for no studies have been done, but I have seen it my whole life. So NO, cannabis alone does not cause mental health problems, those are caused by the environment. Long term on motivation My chef proves that even extreme cannabis use, can still inhibit an incredibly motivated and 'switched on' personality. Suggesting that the cannabis itself isn't a massive factor in motivational levels. For even if he would of been the next Ramsey, he could not put much more work in than he did already. I have explained how cannabis can make you not want to work and exxesive use obviously relaxes you a lot, so it does make you relaxed but does not make you lazy in general. It depends how often you have it, when you have it, you may be more physically lazy, simple. Munchies-weak point, like turning up to a hurricane disaster with a dustpan and brush Addictive? Yes but addiction is in the person and alcohol is far more addictive as a substance (2) Sperm count. Well a weak point again, I have children, my friends have children, we are overpopulated anyway as a stupid point. I don't know if my opponent is serious about this point. Yes it is not optimum for sperm, but neither is alcohol. Cancer. Cannabis has caused 0 deaths across all cultures across the whole history of mankind, alcohol causes 80,000 a year (just in America). My opponent was brave in bringing up the health issue. I don't think I need say more. Alcahol gets you laid. We didn't use to use alcohol, people use alcohol if they are shy, it doesn't help them to be open and confident, when not taking the drug. Also the statistics where given to me by a policeman, I have researched them and here they are (3) "37% of rapes and sexual assaults. This is not a joke. You say: "My opponent drops that alcohol is a social lubricant whereas weed makes you anti-social, which makes you less happy." No, society makes you seclude, not weed. Cartels, not relevant because this is because its illegal. So, I am not saying weed is all good, indeed I almost forgot that the argument is about whether it is better than alcohol. From the indiv. point of view and the society in which it is used. So to conclude weed: 1. It is not in itself a gateway drug, it is only because of its classification as a 'illegal drug' that makes it seem that way. 2. No evidence is conclusive about brain damage, only correlations that are easily explained. So it may slightly influence somebody's chance of mental illness, but because we don't understand mental illness properly, or genes, or the societal factors, we cannot say that weed causes these things with any credibility. 3.Motivation, again a weak point, not any proven evidence. Many contradiction and exceptions, maybe slightly true/maybe not, not that much of a big deal even it is true. 4. Addictive? well no, as addictive as anything that pleasurable and easy would be addictive, and as addictive as anything else used to the same extent as a force of habit. Itself not addictive. 5.Illness. None. Only if smoked, like any plant matter, even tea. So no, itself its not detrimental to health in any way. Indeed its regenerative and medicinal. So alcohol. Addictive? 15% of Americans are problem drinkers. (4). When you compare that to the 67% that drink (5), that makes for just less than a quarter of the people that drink are alcoholics. "Researchers from the University of California in San Diego have found that the lifetime risk of alcohol-use disorders for men is greater than 20%." (4) So alcohol is very addictive. Indeed, unlike cannabis, you will get physical withdrawal symptoms for trying to quit. Physical damage to the individual, long term? "Alcoholics are 10 times more likely to develop infections, cancer and problems with platelets and blood clotting." (4) Cannabis 0 health effects. Effect on the individuals life. I smoke more cannabis than anybody, all day, every day, for 6 years. I have been a chef, doing 12+ hour days for 9 month before I have come to university. Now I am getting firsts and holding down another chef job, still high 24/7. So I ask the reader, could this be done if I was a comparable alcoholic (all day, heavy)? could I achieve what I am doing? Obviously the answer is no, so cannabis makes it far easier to function than alcohol. So if your a cannabis addict, your life will be nowhere near as difficult as if you where a alcohol addict. Active effects. Cannabis, chill, sleep, philosophise. Alcohol, loud, aggressive, impulsive, un empathetic, dangerous. These stats will hopefully settle the argument that alcohol is far worse for society from the perspective of its active effects. "15% of robberies "27% of aggravated assaults, and "25% of simple assaults 40% of violent crimes. (6) All as a result of alcohol consumption. Compare this to the vague correlations my opponent makes regarding sperm count, munchies and the gateway effect. This evidence cannot be overlooked. So alcohol is far worse for your health, far worse for your immediate danger, far worse for society around you, and far worse for your life in general. Alcohol actually causes crime, for its active effects are that of a criminal. (impulsiveness, care-free, excitability, aggression) I would be much more relaxed knowing my kid was high rather than out drinking. Also you say drink makes you sociable, well that's not what I get at 4 in the morning walking past my window, they are anything but sociable. Smokers however just chill, play Xbox and have conversations about deeper things, alcohol can make you stupid and silly. An army of stoned people would beat an army of drunk people ! that might be my next debate. So basically I argue that alcohol is far worse than cannabis overall for society and the individual. It causes people to be aggressive and criminal, it is addictive and very bad for your health and it is potentially destructive to your life in many ways. Cannabis abuse, like any drug abuse, is not beneficial, but its far less destructive than alcohol. It is worlds apart. (3)http://www.ncadd.org... (4)http://www.alcoholaddiction.info... (5)http://www.gallup.com... (6) http://www.ncadd.org...