In this solo episode of Canna Curious, Kyla gets personal about grief, self-care, and the choices we make when life gets heavy. She unpacks one of the oldest debates: alcohol versus cannabis.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
- Why alcohol is responsible for 2.6 million deaths a year globally, while cannabis has zero overdose deathsrecorded.
- How cannabis-related harms are often tied to polydrug use or accidents, not toxicity alone.
- The gender double standard: wine marketed as “self-care,” cannabis framed as “irresponsible.”
- How alcohol worsens hot flushes, mood swings, and sleep in perimenopause — while cannabis may support relief.
Key Takeaways:
- Alcohol is normalised but deadly. WHO reports show millions of deaths annually.
- Cannabis carries risks but far fewer. And no deaths from toxicity alone.
- Context and gender matter. Women are pushed toward alcohol, even though it worsens health outcomes in midlife.
- Narrative is everything. Stigma has shaped laws and culture more than evidence ever has.
Statistics:
Breakdown of Cannabis-Related Deaths in Australia (2000–2018)
This comes from a retrospective review of coronial records via Australia’s National Coronial Information System, as reported by Emma Zahra and colleagues at NDARC, UNSW Sydney
Manner of Deaths (out of total 559 cases):
- Accidental injury: 29.9% (~30%)
- Suicide: 25.0%
- Polysubstance toxicity (i.e., cannabis plus other substances): 17.0%
- Natural disease: 16.1%
- Natural disease plus drug effect/toxicity: 7.9%
- Assault: 3.0%
- Unascertained (unknown): 1.1%
- Cannabis toxicity alone: 0%—no deaths were attributed solely to cannabis toxicity
Polydrug Involvement
- In 81.4% of cases, other drugs were noted alongside cannabis in the cause of death citations.
- The most frequent co-detected drug was alcohol, appearing in 47.2% of these cases
Resources & References
- Zahra E., Darke S., Degenhardt L., Campbell G. Rates, characteristics and manner of cannabis-related deaths in Australia 2000–2018. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2020.
- World Health Organization (2024). Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health.
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Disclaimer:
We are not doctors, and this is not medical advice. Everything shared here is based on our personal lived experiences and the stories of others. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health or wellness routine.
