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Which is more dangerous - alcohol or marijuana?

Based solely on law, it would appear pot is the more dangerous substance. After all, alcohol is legal in Colorado. Marijuana, for non-medical purposes, is not. But statistics show alcohol is actually a more dangerous drug, leading some to campaign for the legalization of marijuana.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse published a study which shows alcohol is far more lethal and toxic than marijuana. According to the study, if the average person drinks 10 times what they would need to drink to get the 'desired effect' of alcohol, it would lead to death. Meanwhile, one would need thousands of times the amount of THC from marijuana as the 'desired effect' plateau.

While FOX reports hundreds of alcohol poisoning deaths over the past 10 years. Meanwhile, DrugWarFacts.org said there has never been a death solely caused by marijuana overdose.

In the U.S., there are approximately 85,000 alcohol-related deaths per year, which includes alcohol poisoning, drunk driving, alcohol-related violence and other alcohol-related incidents.

There have been marijuana-related deaths, but some experts said those deaths are caused by a combination of factors or substances, and marijuana is only one.

However, not all think it marijuana is safer. The Office of National Drug Control Policy said alcohol is actually safer. They said marijuana consists of more than 400 substances, while alcohol has just one (ethanol). They also said THC stays in the body for weeks, while alcohol is eliminated after only a few hours.

In addition, they argue THC damages the immune system, while alcohol does not, and marijuana damages the lungs and causes cancer. This point has been refuted however by some experts.

Marijuana for medical purposes is currently legal in 16 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. Despite non-medical marijuana not being legal, 51 percent of people said alcohol is actually more dangerous.

On Tuesday, college students went to the Colorado Capitol to make an argument in favor of marijuana legalization. This group said pot use could reduce alcohol-related sexual violence.

The argument isn't a new one. Several Colorado college pot groups have pushed unsuccessfully for campuses not to punish students more harshly for pot than for underage alcohol possession.

Advocates also said that alcohol is more closely linked to sexual assaults.

Those in favor of keeping the drug illegal said the reason the numbers favor marijuana as a safer substance is because there aren't as many smokers as there are drinkers. They think if marijuana is legalized, more marijuana-related deaths will occur because the drug will be easier to get.

What do you think?  Is marijuana safer than alcohol?  If so, do you think it should be legalized in the U.S.?  Share your thoughts in our comment section below.

The Associated Press contributed to this story