Let’s Stop Comparing THC to Alcohol — It Misses the Point
This post doesn’t quite fit the usual vibe of what I share here, but some things just need to be said. The current THC bill in Texas—and the loud return of the "THC vs. alcohol" debate—hit a nerve.
Years ago, I was a police officer enforcing the marijuana laws in this state. I arrested people for possession, sales, cultivation—the whole deal. I followed the letter of the law. But time and experience have taught me that some of those laws were rooted in fear, not facts.
Fast-forward to 2021: I was diagnosed with end-stage liver disease at 33. My organs were shutting down, and I had to look my three-year-old son in the eyes and say goodbye. Not because of marijuana. Because of alcohol.
Let that sink in.
It wasn’t just one drink that got me there. It was years of drinking what I thought was “normal.” I drank like those around me. I didn’t know the very thing we crack open during Sunday football—right after or even during church—would come for my life in such a violent, final way. We treat it like a sacrament. It’s embedded in our culture so deeply that we forget it’s a poison. It’s in our celebrations, our grief, and our rituals.
This is why I take serious issue with Lt. Governor Dan Patrick's recent comments linking store-bought THC edibles to psychosis, overdoses, and people stepping in front of trains. That kind of rhetoric isn’t just misinformed—it’s harmful. It spreads fear, not understanding.
I’m not here to say marijuana should or shouldn’t be legal. I’m not telling you what to put in your body. But if you're pushing for THC legalization because alcohol is legal, you've already lost the real argument. That comparison puts both substances in the same moral and medical bracket, and they are not equals.
THC has never, in the history of ever, directly killed someone from overdose. It continues to show promise in managing chronic pain, anxiety, PTSD, and more. Alcohol, on the other hand, is a socially accepted poison. It damages the liver, the brain, and the heart—and I am living proof of the price that can be paid for calling it "just a drink."
Sure, Jesus turned water into wine. But that wine wasn’t the 13.5% ABV chardonnay you’re sipping during brunch. It was diluted, fermented differently, and used in moderation during sacred rituals. Today’s alcohol has evolved into something stronger, flashier, and far more dangerous—and yet, it remains the unchallenged champion of American vice.
This shouldn’t be a THC vs. alcohol battle. That frame misses the point. If public health and safety are truly the concerns here, then let’s have that conversation honestly and without bias. Let’s look at actual data. Let’s talk about how alcohol is marketed to children through cultural norms, how it kills silently in hospitals and loudly in car crashes.
And let’s stop pretending that THC belongs in the same category just because both can alter your state of mind.
Don’t defend cannabis because alcohol is legal. Defend it because it's time for an honest, fact-based look at what really poses a threat—and what might actually help.
Jeremy is the founder of I'm Out Here, a blog and community built on healing, honesty, and hard conversations. After surviving years of alcohol abuse that led to end-stage liver disease, he was told he wouldn’t make it. But he did. Today, he shares his story to remind others that redemption is real. He draws from years in law enforcement, being a traveling musician, senior marketing experience, and most importantly, a second chance at fatherhood. "I'm Out Here" is a place for those navigating darkness, seeking connection, or just looking for hope that things can get better. You’re not alone!
