Alcohol is a depressant, meaning it reduces (or depresses) activity in the central nervous system. Cannabis, on the other hand, can be classified as both a depressant and a stimulant. As such, mixing weed and alcohol can produce both synergistic and antagonistic effects. Low to moderate doses can produce feelings of relaxation and euphoria, lower inhibitions, and make social situations more enjoyable (hence the term “liquid confidence”). However, higher doses can lead to impaired judgment, motor control, and coordination, increasing the risk of accidents and injuries. If you think you’re abusing these or other substances, help is available.
- Marijuana contains the mind-altering chemical tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) that gives users a high feeling.
- This is because both alcohol and THC, the active psychoactive compound in cannabis, are two different kinds of substances.
- The effects of combining alcohol and cannabis can lead to a higher risk of accidents and injuries, as well as increase the likelihood of adverse outcomes, such as vomiting, panic attacks, and paranoia.
- With recreational marijuana becoming legal in several states, cannabis-infused mocktails, seltzers and alcohol-free wines are hitting the market, often sold as a shortcut to a healthier high.
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Remember, consuming weed after drinking alcohol might make you feel less intoxicated, which can lead you to drink more than you usually would. In each session, participants consumed a different combination of placebo, low, and moderate doses of THC and alcohol. Still, there’s some evidence to suggest that regularly combining are there drops to reverse eye dilation may have some concerning effects over time. While there’s some research around the effects of drinking alcohol before using weed, there isn’t much about the opposite approach. Occasionally mixing alcohol and weed — also known as crossfading — likely won’t lead to major health problems. But there are a lot of variables to consider, including which one you use first and how you consume them.
What to consider when mixing cannabis and alcohol
Adding alcohol to a high dose of THC impaired driving simulator scores by 17 percent. If using weed does indeed slow the absorption of alcohol, it might also delay feelings of drunkenness. This might seem like a good thing, but it makes it harder to know how impaired you really are. However, this study was pretty small, making it hard to draw any firm conclusions.
Cross-Faded: When You Are Drunk and High at the Same Time
So a single glass of wine alongside a joint will produce stronger effects than a can of beer. This can increase the risk of adverse outcomes, such as impaired judgment, slowed reaction times, and decreased motor control. The short-term effects of alcohol can include impaired cognitive eye color may be linked to alcohol dependence function, slowed reaction times, and altered mood. Long-term effects can include liver damage, brain damage, high blood pressure, and an increased risk of certain cancers. Additionally, alcohol can lead to addiction, which can subsequently devastate a person’s health and well-being.
Those who are sensitive to weed or who don’t have much experience using it may want to avoid mixing weed and alcohol, as they’re more likely to experience unpleasant side effects. Although hundreds of cannabinoids in the cannabis plant have been isolated, the two most used and studied are THC (psychoactive) and CBD (nonpsychoactive). In contrast to THC, the nonpsychoactive properties of CBD and its reduced classification as a Schedule I drug in the U.S. Controlled Substances Act have resulted in an influx in the production and consumption of CBD-based products.
The reward circuitry in the brain can become impaired, and it’s more difficult to derive pleasure from things you would normally enjoy, such as delicious food, a sense of achievement, or physical touch. This lack of enjoyment can lead to even more chronic use to seek the high that alcoholics anonymous a support group for alcoholism once came so easily. In simple terms, cannabis has medicinal applications, and alcohol does not. Addiction treatments span from traditional talk therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to rehabilitation centers, support groups, medication-assisted treatments, and more.
Often referred to as “greening out,” alcohol and marijuana users can have an undesirable reaction when combining the two substances. Physical symptoms like nausea and vomiting are common, as well as sweating and dizziness. These symptoms can be even more intense if the marijuana is consumed as an edible. When marijuana is baked into or added to food and then eaten, it takes time for the food to digest and for the user to start experiencing effects.
However, the body of existing research is likely to grow and evolve as more states begin to legalize marijuana use. If you want to mix the two, pay careful attention to how much of each you’re consuming, especially if you’ve never mixed them before. If you use weed before drinking, pay extra attention to how much you’ve had to drink. To err on the side of caution, assume you’ve had a bit more to drink than you actually have, or aim to drink less than you usually would without using weed. Zhang also said healthcare institutions should look to leverage technology to support adoption of appropriate standards. “The steps we are recommending should not only help to align clinical practice with sound language guidelines, but also foster a more empathetic and supportive healthcare environment for patients,” he said.
While people might use a combination of alcohol and marijuana to experience a more intense high, this can be dangerous. The effects of marijuana and alcohol on their own are unpredictable, and combining them makes this worse. You can absorb THC more quickly when there’s alcohol in your blood, which can increase the risk of experiencing uncomfortable side effects. An addiction to alcohol is something that should be taken seriously, and it is important to know the signs to determine if you or your loved one is struggling. A craving for alcohol, wanting to cut back but being unable to, having your professional or personal life affected by alcohol, and developing a tolerance to alcohol are all signs of an alcohol use disorder.