Alcohol 114-Times Deadlier than Marijuana, Drug Study Reveals

Flying in the face of popular belief, a new study claims that cannabis is less likely to cause death due to overdose than alcohol.

The study published in the journal Scientific Reports compared lethal doses to doses typically consumed by recreational users. The results classified alcohol as high risk along with nicotine, cocaine and meth while cannabis was the only substance categorized as low risk, The Independent reports. The study found that marijuana is 114 times less risky than alcohol.

According to The Washington Post, the study only reaffirmed safety rankings developed 10 years ago but is significant in the current context of the debate over legalization of marijuana.

"Many governments in Europe have favored more restrictive policies with respect to illicit drugs than for alcohol or tobacco, on the grounds that they regard both illicit drug abuse and related problems as a significantly larger problem for society. Drug rankings can therefore be useful to inform policy makers and the public about the relative importance of licit drugs (including prescription drugs) and illicit drugs for various types of harm," researchers wrote in the journal.

Newsweek adds that report comes at a time when Alaska announced it would legalize recreational use of weed.