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Ji Woon Kim
Professor Vincent Gilhooley
2 J039
25 May 2016
The Side Effects of Marijuana and Alcohol

Are people aware of the effects of Marijuana and Alcohol to our overall health?
There are controversial arguments concerning this topic and there are lots of people who
believe that the effects are minimal. Usage of Marijuana and consumption of alcohol may
ruin the health of our body in various ways. "As has been well documented, I smoked pot as a
kid, and I view it as a bad habit and a vice, not very different from the cigarettes that I
smoked as a young person up through a big chunk of my adult life," Obama said during the
interview.(Brownstein) "I don't think it is more dangerous than alcohol." Furthermore, this
essay includes some aspects of Marijuana and alcohol in the Korean society.

Usage of Marijuana could lead to various problems in the society. First of all,
Marijuana smokers could suffer more illnesses than those who are clean due to decreased
resistance to common illnesses such as cold and headache. For example, a research at
Harvard University informs that Marijuana could lower the immune system which makes it
more prone to illnesses and diseases. In addition, Marijuana smokers are exposed to more
accidents. When smoking Marijuana, a person could be in a state of slowed perception of
time which practically makes the person open to accidents such as car accidents. Long-term
users report that they sometimes have trouble thinking clearly, organizing their thoughts,
multitasking and remembering things. Sustained marijuana use can also slow reaction times
in some individuals. (Cox) Lastly, Marijuana is a gateway drug for other strong addictives

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namely cocaine and heroin. Nowadays, countless people from all over the world think
smoking a joint would make them appear cooler to their peers. This could be very dangerous
because most of the drug addicts in the rehab are confirmed that they all started with
Marijuana. From looking at these ideas it is pretty obvious that smoking weed has more
effects than just looking cool.

Consumption of alcohol could even direct people to death and has many side effects.
First of all, drinking alcohol could directly cause serious illnesses such as liver cancer and
heart problems. It is a known fact that alcohol could damage the human body severely when
consumed regularly. Furthermore, excess drinking of alcohol could deteriorate family
problems and broken relationships. For instance, there are many alcoholics in the streets who
lost everything that they loved due to drinking. Alcohol does not only ruin people's health but
it could also wreck their relationships and their mentality. Even the oldest book in human
history, the bible warns people about drinking excessive amount of alcohol. "Wine is a
mocker, strong drink is raging and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." (King James
Version, Proverbs. 20:1) Finally, Alcohol abuse and addiction can also lead to destructive
behavior such as driving under the influence of alcohol and domestic violence. (Patterson)
For instance, some prisoners who committed serious crimes are reported to commit their
crimes after getting drunk. By looking at this, it is obvious that drinking excessive amount of
alcohol could be a serious problem in our society.

In most of western society people regard drinking alcohol much more hazardous than
smoking Marijuana. On the contrast, in Korea it is exact opposite and smoking Marijuana can
be seen as taboo. For example, many clubs in Seoul it is easy to see a person drinking strong
alcoholic beverages while doing ecstasy. Nevertheless, even though Marijuana is a relatively

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less stronger drug it is regarded as serious violation of law. Unfortunately, many countries
continue to view marijuana in the same light as they do heroin or cocaine. Considered one of
the worlds best examples of a democracy, South Korea or the Republic of Korea is home to
some of the strictest cannabis laws on the planet. Tourists, students, teachers and military
families have all discovered that whats medicinal in one country can put you in prison in
another. (Popovitch) However, drinking alcohol in South Korea is seemed as manly and
physically well. This type of concept which was common in The United States of America in
the 1950's is now growing in South Korea. Even though alcohol might even be worse for the
human body, it is generally thought of as a cultural aspect and people still continue to drink
regularly.

In conclusion, Marijuana and alcohol could be both very harmful to our body if
consumed too much on a regular basis. They could both worsen our health conditions and
relationships. As a famous rock singer has mentioned, It takes away a lot of the thrill of
killing yourself when people are looking for you and you're disappointing them, because it is
a lot of fun when you're out there killing yourself. (67) People should be wise and consider
these side effects of Marijuana and alcohol before they get addicted and ruin their lives.

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Works Cited
Brownstein, Joe. "Marijuana vs. Alcohol: Which Is Really Worse for Your Health?."
Livescience.com, 21 January, 2014. Web 22 May 2016.

Cox, Lauren. " Marijuana: "Effects of Weed on Brain and Body ". Livescience.com, 31
March, 2014. Web 22 May 2016.

Zondervan NIV Study Bible. Fully rev. ed. Kenneth L. Barker, gen. ed. Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 2002. Print.

Patterson, Eric. "The Effects of Alcohol Use". DrugAbuse.com, Web 22 May 2016.

Popovitch, Trish. "Smoking is No Joke in South Korea." merryjane.com, 22 January 22,

2016. Web 22 May 2016

Kiedis, Anthony, and Larry Sloman. Scar Tissue. New York: Hyperion, 2004. Print.