It is clear that the use of marijuana is less harmful than the use of alcohol when comparing both in terms of their physiological effects, the result of these effects on social presentation, and the long-term effects of their use. Marijuana is not hard to come by these days, and the use of it is increasing. Drinking alcohol is also very common, and many young people don't even realize the many effects of doing so. .
Both marijuana and alcohol have many short-term physiological effects on the human body. The effects of marijuana use are not very severe. The smoke of the drug is irritating to the mouth, throat and lungs. It can also cause dry mouth, red eyes and an increased pulse rate. The physiological effects of alcohol depend on the amount consumed and the concentration of it in the blood. Alcohol slows down the function of the brain, causing a person to act "drunk". "Blackouts" can also be experienced after a bout of heavy drinking. "Blackouts" are described as periods of time that a person cannot recall sue to severe memory impairment caused by alcohol. Alcohol also causes warm skin, a loss of body heat and dehydration. Some of these physiological indicators can affect the way a person presents himself or herself.
The effects that marijuana has on a persons social presentation are much less significant than those caused by alcohol. A study done at the University of Sydney resulted in the finding that marijuana use does cause drowsiness and a slight impairment of physical co-ordination. The study also found that people under the influence of marijuana take a lot of time to solve problems using a more careful approach. They found that the use of alcohol causes people to make "speed-accuracy trade-offs". This means that hasty responses to questions are given, and there is an increased susceptibility to taking risks. A person that is intoxicated also has poor fine motor co-ordination and may stagger.