Large bodies of epidemiological evidence support the statement that alcohol has direct and
consequential impact on physiology. Numerous cancers are directly attributable to alcohol
intake, including an increased risk of development of breast cancer in women with as little
as 25 grams of pure alcohol.[xiv] Alcohol contributes directly to liver diseases and
hepatocellular damage, with one in four Canadians who may be affected by liver disease.
[xv]
The WHO report points to large bodies of literature, which indicates alcohol intoxication can
lead to harm in the form of mental illnesses and an increase in the suicide rate or ideation.
Risk of suicide attempt rises seven times immediately after drinking, and can be as high as
37 times with heavy or binge drinking. Estimates state 18% of all suicides globally are
attributable to alcohol intake.
Alcohol poisoning, or the consumption of excessive quantities of alcohol in such a short
period of time that the body is incapable of processing it, can be symptomized by an
increase in heart rate, difficulty breathing, engaged gag reflex, and spikes in temperature.
Outcomes of this level of intoxication can lead to severe consequences, including coma and
death.
Cannabis, by comparison has a much more moderate mortality and DALY rate. According to
a 2012 report, the disease burden attributable to cannabis reflected globally, only 287
deaths were attributed to cannabis use and 66,346 DALYs, based on causal impacts of
cannabis use disorders, schizophrenia, lung cancer, and road traffic injuries.[xvi][xvii]
Overconsumption of cannabis has been proven to be physiologically impossible. There are
no CBD receptors on the brain cortex to trigger either a gag reflex or an impact on the
autonomic breathing reflexes. Asphyxiation caused by aspirating alcohol induced vomit,
and slowing of the respiratory system to the point of failure are common causes of death in
overindulgence in single event binge drinking cases. In order to die from a cannabis
overdose, a human would need to ingest 1,500 pounds of cannabis in a single event.[xviii]