I would prefer no one - teen age or otherwise - consider a drug necessary to have a party. It's so much more fun when people get together to DO something, rather than ingest something.

That said, I don't really care which of the two they use. I think they're pretty much on a par as far as the kinds of disadvantages: neither should be used while driving; both can make people completely obnoxious; and neither makes people quick-witted. Both can easily be detected by smell, so the likelihood of being outed for use is the same. For teens, the penalties for use - at least in California - are pretty much the same.

 

No preference.

I'm reluctant to weigh in on one versus another, because as most people have stated, I'd prefer that my teenage kid not be taking drugs or alcohol in a party setting like that. Both are drugs and both affect thinking and judgment. Both have long-term health consequences. Alcohol can be more dangerous because it is much easier to overdose on it.

However, if I had to choose I'd choose alcohol, for a few reasons.

One, the legalities of underage drinking different than smoking Marijuana. Smoking pot is illegal no matter what your age (medical marijuana laws notwithstanding) but drinking is legal after age 21.

Two, the regulation of alcohol. Yes, it's possible for someone to slip something into a kid's drink, but if you keep an eye on the bottle, you know what's in it. For marijuana, you don't know if it's really pot or if it's Oregano. Or, worse, if it's contaminated with something dangerous.

A lot depends on the kid as well. When you say use as a party drug, you are not specific about how much or how frequently the teen is ingesting these substances. Almost everyone I've talked to about it has had an occasional beer before it was legal do do so. An occasional beer is much different than binge drinking.

I certainly hope that I would be able to raise my kid to choose not to drink or do drugs. But, if he or she did feel pressure to drink, I hope that they would be responsible, not drink and drive, and not drink to the point of excess.

Wow, you parents really need to educate yourself on the dangers of alcohol and the relative safety of marijuana. The most dangerous thing about marijuana is getting caught.

Teens can and frequently do overdose on alcohol. Besides the hangover alcohol can cause depression, violent belligerent behavior, vomiting, blackouts, memory loss, paralysis, death. The long term effects of alcoholism can include cancer, cirrosis, brain damage. Alcohol is also associated with sexual abuse.

Marijuana, can cause euphoria, dizziness, being "high." Long term effects include increased risk of bronchitis. There is no risk of overdose of marijuana. Marijuana has never caused a single death from overdose in the entirety of human existence. Marijuana's "gateway drug theory" has long been dispelled. It has never been shown to cause cancer, and in some instances has been shown to fight certain types of cancer like breast and brain tumors.

I've had several friends and family involved in alcohol related traffic accidents, both as the perpetrator and the victim, some of them even died. Although I've been smoking marijuana for over 15 years, I don't know a single person who's ever been in a marijuana related traffic accident. In fact studies that have concluded that marijuana impairment doesn't cause traffic accidents.

I'm not saying kids should choose either alcohol or marijuana, and it's our role as parents to keep the lines of communication open so that we know where are children are, who they are with, and what they are doing. Prescription drug abuse is exploding among teens, so keep and eye on your medicine cabinet too. It's not my role to "control" my children. Rather it's my job to make sure that my children learn how to make responsible decisions for themselves, so that when they're old enough to make their own decisions about what they put in their bodies, its the right decision.

The claims by matthewh are just absurd, and false.
It is actually rather easy, with some basic research, to find medical proof that Marijuana is of less harm to your health than Alcohol. If health problems are your worry, teens are better off with pot, than alcohol.
Another thing to think about, alcohol promotes risk taking, pot promotes caution.
Teens shouldn't use either drug... BUT I would say Marijuana is the better choice.

There has NEVER been a case of Marijuana overdose, not in all recorded history. It is physically impossible to overdose on, it is not toxic enough, it could not kill you. You would have to ingest more than your body weight, in under 15 minutes, to absorb a dangerous amount. This is FACT.

The myths that it causes some sort of long term brain damage, are unsupported, and have been LONG since disproved, since the claim was made back in the 80s, on a poor study of 2 monkeys who were suffocated by smoke inhalation. It was not pot that caused their damage, but rather severe lack of oxygen over a month.

Studies have also shown that there is no credible causal link between Marijuana and cancer, of any kind. In fact, the chemicals in Marijuana have some surprising ANTI-CANCER properties, and currently research is being done into the possibility of cannabinoids being used as a treatment against cancer.

I'll chime in and say neither, too. I prefer my kids learn to have fun without having to have an altered mental state; to be with people because they like the people and what they're doing, rather than what they're drinking.

I would prefer my teenager to use marijuana at a party instead of alcohol. It is quite unlikely that one would smoke so much pot as to get "marijuana poisonong" whereas, one can easily drink enough to get alcohol poisoning. Alcohol poisoning can result in coma or death. I have never heard of anyone smoking themselves to death. Certainly, I am not an advocate of driving under the influence of any substance that causes an altered state, but I do think most people can function more normally when stoned than when drunk.

Neither!! But if had to pick one then it would be alcohol, although this brings its own problems, i think marijuana is far more dangerous due to leading to mental health problems, lung cancer and in most cases moving on to harder drugs.