Alcohol vs. Marijuana: The Grim Reaper’s Favorite Drink vs. The Mellow Leaf
Ever wonder why alcohol—the stuff that turns people into bar brawlers, bad dancers, and questionable life decision-makers—is completely legal, but marijuana, the plant that makes people snack and nap, is still fighting for its freedom? Could it be… gasp… money and politics? Buckle up, because we’re diving into who’s keeping weed illegal and why.
Alcohol vs. Marijuana-Related Deaths by State: The Scoreboard Isn’t Even Close
Let’s look at cold, hard numbers—because math doesn’t lie, but politicians and lobbyists sure do.
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), more than 178,000 people died from alcohol-related causes between 2020 and 2021. That’s not just from drunk driving—it includes liver failure, alcohol poisoning, and other long-term health issues.
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State-by-state breakdown?
- New Mexico wins (loses?) with the highest alcohol-related death rate: 34.3 deaths per 100,000 people.
- Hawaii takes the "lightweight" trophy with the lowest: 5.9 deaths per 100,000.
- Fun fact: Those are the same odds of making it out of a Vegas casino with more money than you came in with.
Meanwhile, marijuana-related deaths? Well, if you're talking about natural cannabis, they’re so rare you have better odds of getting struck by lightning while holding a winning lottery ticket and being attacked by a shark—all at the same time.
A study from Florida Atlantic University found that out of 386 "cannabis-related" deaths, a whopping 258 were due to synthetic cannabis—a man-made, unregulated nightmare, not the good ol' natural plant.
Yet here we are, keeping weed illegal while a product that literally kills hundreds of thousands every year is stocked at every gas station, grocery store, and stadium in America.
Why Isn’t Marijuana Federally Legal?
Oh, that’s easy: Follow the money.
1. Big Alcohol Wants You Drunk, Not High
Alcohol companies have spent millions lobbying against marijuana legalization. Why? Because if weed is legal, you might decide to relax with a joint instead of pounding six beers and sending your ex a text you’ll regret.
- Beer, Wine & Liquor industries poured $17 million into federal campaigns last cycle.
- Some of that cash went directly to anti-marijuana politicians (shock!).
The last thing alcohol executives want is people swapping out their Budweiser for a bowl of Bubba Kush. If too many people figure out they can feel amazing without a hangover, beer sales might gasp go down!
2. Big Pharma’s Worst Nightmare: A Natural Remedy That Works
The pharmaceutical industry hates competition, and cannabis is one heck of a competitor.
- Opioid manufacturers have spent millions lobbying against cannabis—because why would they want people treating their pain naturally when they can hook them on addictive painkillers instead?
- Cannabis has been shown to help with chronic pain, anxiety, sleep disorders, and even epilepsy—all conditions Big Pharma makes billions off of with prescription drugs.
If marijuana were legal nationwide, Americans would have access to a plant they could grow in their backyard instead of paying hundreds per month for pills. And we cannot have that in a country where profit always comes before people!
3. The Government Loves the Money Train
The War on Drugs is a billion-dollar industry that still disproportionately targets minorities and low-income communities. Arresting people for cannabis keeps the prison-industrial complex running, and we all know America loves a good for-profit prison system.
The Bottom Line
- Alcohol kills. Marijuana doesn’t.
- Big Alcohol and Big Pharma are terrified of competition.
- The government doesn’t like losing control over a cash cow.
Yet, somehow, getting drunk and making poor life decisions is legal, while smoking a plant and watching cartoons in your pajamas is still a federal crime in many places.
So, next time someone tells you "marijuana is dangerous", remind them that alcohol kills 500 people every single day in America—but sure, let’s keep demonizing the plant that makes people eat too many snacks and giggle at their own jokes.
It’s time to stop protecting industries that profit from addiction and death. Legalize it. Regulate it. Let people choose.
Because no one has ever smoked a joint and started a bar fight—but plenty of people have taken a shot of tequila and thought they were invincible.
So, what do we do about it?
Sitting around and waiting for politicians to wake up isn’t an option—because they’re too busy cashing checks from alcohol and pharmaceutical lobbyists. It’s up to us. Here’s how to fight back:
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Contact Your State Representatives—Relentlessly.
- Call them. Email them. Show up at their offices if you have to.
- Ask them why they’re okay with people dying from alcohol and opioids but not okay with legalizing a plant that’s never killed anyone.
- If they’re against cannabis legalization, ask how much money they’ve taken from Big Alcohol and Big Pharma. (Seriously, check their donation records—it’s all public.)
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Vote Like Your Weed Depends On It—Because It Does.
- Support candidates who back cannabis legalization and hold the ones who don’t accountable.
- Pay attention to local and state elections—because most legalization progress happens at the state level first.
- If your state has a marijuana ballot initiative, vote YES and encourage everyone you know to do the same.
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Educate the People Around You.
- Share the real data about alcohol-related deaths vs. marijuana-related deaths.
- Remind people that Big Pharma and Big Alcohol are actively fighting to keep weed illegal because they fear it’ll cut into their profits.
- Call out the hypocrisy every chance you get—on social media, in conversations, at the dinner table, wherever.
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Never Stop Fighting for Your Medicine.
- For medical cannabis patients, this is about access to life-changing medicine.
- For cannabis entrepreneurs, it’s about breaking free from an industry dominated by wealthy insiders while small businesses are crushed by outdated laws.
- For everyone else, it’s about personal freedom and ending a ridiculous prohibition that has gone on far too long.
Final Thought:
Big Alcohol and Big Pharma have deep pockets, but we have something more powerful—numbers.
They need us to stay silent, uninformed, and complacent. We need to be loud, educated, and relentless.
If you care about cannabis legalization, fight for it. Because, the people profiting off alcohol-related deaths sure as hell are fighting to keep weed illegal.