Is cannabis or alcohol the best choice for New Year's Eve?
Here at Cannabis.Wiki, we will always advocate for cannabis above any other substance because it is hands down the absolute safest choice there is out there. Still, we know that New Year's Eve is fast approaching and that thousands of people will be making the decision between celebrating with alcohol or cannabis, and the right answer might not always be what we think. This is a tough one that only you can answer, but we've gathered these ten questions to give some food for thought, which should help you come to the most reasonable solution.
1. What do you want out of the experience?
Cannabis and alcohol offer unique experiences, and what you want out of the night's festivities might help you to determine which one may be the best for you. With alcohol, the effects are slow to set in, but they can continue to affect you for anywhere from several hours to a few long days once they take hold. Both substances are more intense when consumed in high concentrations, but alcohol is a downer, which means that it will bring your mood down, whereas cannabis tends to have the opposite effect.
2. How much money do you have to spend?
The thing about recreational drugs is that they can be expensive, which is true for both alcohol and cannabis, but how much you have to spend and where you'll be might have a considerable impact on which one will be best for you. If you're drinking at home, it doesn't have to be as expensive as the bar, but when you're out, sometimes the only real affordable way to have fun is to spin up a couple of joints and sip water while you hang out with friends.
3. Do you want to be able to bail without having to spend the night?
We touched a little bit on the different "high" effects, but many don't realize how big of a difference this makes and how what you're using can significantly influence the course of an evening. A few puffs off of a joint will lasts less than an hour before you'll feel pretty much normal again. On the other hand, an edible might have you spinning for up to twelve, which can be a bit much. The same is true for alcohol. Though a single drink or two might not impair you for too long, any more could have long-lasting effects making it much harder to get home safely.
4. Who are you celebrating with?
Most of us will get together with close friends or family for fun New Year's Eve traditions, and the guest list might be something to consider when you're deciding between cannabis and alcohol for the evening. Are they tokers or drinkers, and which one do you think your crew would have the most fun with? In some cases, secrecy might need to be part of the equation, in which case there is nothing less detectible than cannabis, as long as you can get away to do it or keep a pocket full of edibles. However, if your guests or host disapproves of your preference, you might want to make an exception, but that's up to you.
5. Do you have responsibilities the next day?
There is no denying that both cannabis and alcohol in almost any form can completely impair a person, especially when they're taken in larger amounts. Still, only one of them is sure to leave you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed by morning, no matter how much you partake, and that's cannabis. On the other hand, alcohol is hard on the body, as it dehydrates, makes it work overtime, and tends to make us clumsy. That's why so many drinkers end up so hungover the day after a long night on the town and feeling like that makes it impossible to get to work or fulfill any other responsibilities.
6. Where are you celebrating?
Are you hosting a small get together at your place, or have you scored some excellent seats at your favourite bar? Is the host cannabis-friendly, and is the venue somewhere you can comfortably partake in your substance of choice? It might seem like a good idea to try something new or go all out for New Year's Eve and overindulge. Still, it is essential to make sure that the environment is conducive to a comfortable and enjoyable experience while dappling in pot or alcohol.
7. Do you have a worrisome tendency to overindulge?
Are you concerned about how you might act or feel while you're ringing in a brand-new year with those closest to you? If not, well, you might just like to party all night long, and that's ok. But in large amounts, alcohol is much more likely to make us do ridiculous and unpredictable things, and that can be dangerous to you or, at the very least, to your reputation. Of course, this might not be true for a brand-new low tolerance consumer of cannabis, but for the majority, the green is the safest route to take here.
8. Will you be sharing?
Alcohol is always poured into individual glasses so that each person can enjoy their drink. However, cannabis is generally shared on a slightly more intimate level, through passing a joint or bong back and forth, and not everyone is comfortable with sharing germs on this kind of level. Alcohol and cups also take up a lot of room if you're serving a crew, whereas a whole pack of joints can fit comfortably in your pocket, so depending on your answer here, it could go either way.
9. Do you completely trust everyone who will be there?
How do these two drugs affect you, and if you're considering an option that completely impairs, do you trust those who will be near you to watch over you in case things go south? This is essential because no matter which one you choose, feeling alone and unsure if something happens isn't a good situation to be in. If you don't feel 100% comfortable with the people that you'll be screaming happy New Year with, then you'll be best to pick whichever one has the least overwhelming effects on you, which brings us to the last question on this list.
10. What's your comfort level?
Have you ever tried cannabis before? What about alcohol? Does the idea of using either one make you nervous? As much as it's great to appease the rules of our environments and the comfortability of those who will be in our company on New Year's Eve. The absolute most crucial thing is that you have the time of your life. To do that, you should probably go with the one you have the most positive experiences with. That way, you'll have better control over the buzz and a deeper understanding of what to expect, but of course, this is unique to you.
