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.