Just because something is legal, socially accepted, or considered “natural” doesn’t mean it’s harmless to your brain. Alcohol and cannabis are often compared in terms of which is safer. And while alcohol is associated with far more deaths, impaired driving incidents, and other serious consequences, there’s another important factor we need to consider: How do these substances affect the brain over time? In a brain imaging study involving 62,454 SPECT scans, we examined factors associated with accelerated brain aging. We found that both alcohol use disorder and cannabis use were associated with patterns of accelerated brain aging, with cannabis showing a stronger association in our analysis. My message has always been simple: If you want to protect your brain, you need to pay attention to what you put into your body. Your daily choices matter, and the habits you build today can influence your brain health for years to come. At Amen Clinics, we believe mental health treatment should s...