Australian Alcohol Expert Urges Marijuana Legalization to Curb Binge Drinking

Robin Room, the director of Australia’s leading alcohol research center, has released a statement calling for the legalization of marijuana for adults. His support is based on research showing that marijuana is a less harmful alternative to alcohol.

[caption id="attachment_6702" align="alignleft" width="240"] Prof. Robin Room[/caption]

Professor Room said that if teenagers chose to use a substance in excess, they would be much safer after consuming marijuana than after binging on alcohol. “Cannabis is not without harm,” Room said, “but it’s substantially less than alcohol and tobacco in terms of social harm.”

He has said that the best way to reduce alcohol-fueled violence is by legalizing and regulating marijuana.

While Australia has not always been at the forefront of rational marijuana debate, it is good to see that science is winning. The relative safety of marijuana compared to alcohol is finally starting to be recognized throughout the world.