Chemically speaking, alcohol is a broad term that refers to a class of organic compounds that contain a hydroxyl (-OH) functional group. The most common type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages is ethanol, which is produced through the fermentation of sugars and starches found in various crops like grapes, grains, and potatoes. The reason behind this is that alcohol increases the absorption of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the main psychoactive component in cannabis.
An interaction between cannabis and alcohol was observed in time spent at high speed; thus, cannabis may have diminished the propensity to increase driving speed following alcohol consumption. Research suggests that co-use of alcohol and cannabis has synergistic effects over and above additive risk, as is evinced in the impaired driving literatures. As compared to alcohol drinkers, co-users exhibit twice the risk of driving under the influence 9. One study conducted in France indicated that approximately 40% of sampled drivers under the influence of cannabis and involved in fatal accidents, also exceeded the legal limit for alcohol 40. This is consistent with research demonstrating the combined effect of cannabis and alcohol compared to either alone may have the biggest influence on driving tasks 41. High school seniors who used cannabis and alcohol together had the highest rates of unsafe driving compared to students who co-used the substances less frequently 15.
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While some states have legalized marijuana for medicinal and/or recreational use, marijuana is still classified as a Schedule I drug at the federal level. Schedule I substances are considered to have no proven medical or therapeutic use. There is a need for liberty cap characteristics more rigorous and longitudinal research studies on the co-use of cannabis and alcohol to glean a more complete understanding of the relationship between the two substances. Findings can be used to develop and refine intervention strategies to successfully reduce cannabis and alcohol co-use. But if you’ve been drinking a lot, it might be hard to tell the difference between a green out and alcohol poisoning, which can be life-threatening if not treated.
Why Do Alcohol and Cannabis Interact?
- Further complicating interpretation, blood concentrations during driving cannot be back-extrapolated due to unknown time after cannabis use and individual variability in THC blood concentration trajectories 101.
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- On each occasion, they’d rank a different dose of alcohol, including a placebo, as a low dose or a high dose.
- But if you’ve been drinking a lot, it might be hard to tell the difference between a green out and alcohol poisoning, which can be life-threatening if not treated.
- Among people who drink alcohol, marijuana is the most frequently used substance alongside alcohol.1 It can be potentially dangerous for individuals to drink alcohol and smoke marijuana at the same time or one after the other.
Meanwhile, as of 2023, medical cannabis is legal in 38 states, while recreational use is legal in 23 states and the District of Columbia. But while beer and weed may seem like a match made in heaven, combining the two can lead to unpredictable effects, including increased impairment and heightened risks of dangerous behavior. Despite its popularity and social ubiquity, drinking alcohol comes at a cost. And it’s not just financial costs either; alcohol-related impaired driving leads to more than 10,000 deaths yearly, or one person every 39 minutes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The authors of a 2017 review suggest that people who use alcohol and weed together typically consume more of both drugs. This higher intake may increase the risk of dependence on alcohol, weed, or both.
Those who used alcohol and marijuana were more likely to drive unsafely than those who used alcohol and marijuana separately. They were also more likely to use the substances in a bar or party context, making it more likely that they would have to drive somewhere afterwards. The study authors found that people who felt “stressed, angry, tired, and/or out of control” were more likely to use both substances at the same time. Combining the two substances also leads to a greater degree of impairment than taking either one on its own. You may put yourself in risky or dangerous alcoholism and narcissism situations if you’re drinking or using marijuana, and an alcohol and marijuana combination makes this even more likely.
Adding alcohol to a high dose of THC impaired driving simulator scores by 17 percent. In a 2015 study, 19 participants drank either a placebo or small amount of alcohol. Ten minutes later, they used a vaporizer to inhale either a low or a high dose of THC. This is because alcohol increases the absorption of weed’s main psychoactive ingredient, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). There may be additional risks because it is easy to overconsume edibles. Even small amounts of edibles can produce strong highs, depending on the amount of THC and other cannabinoids that they contain.
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A medical detox is clinically recommended as the safest way of achieving this. In order for treatment for addiction to mixing alcohol and weed to be successful, both addictions will signs you were roofied need to be treated simultaneously and comprehensively. Both Alcohol and weed are known to have a negative impact on mental health when used excessively.
Behavioral Pharmacology of Cannabis and Alcohol Co-use
Those with previous mental health history, teenagers and those with mental health or addiction in the family will be more prone to experiencing the dark side of both of these drugs. Weed and alcohol can both distort the way we see, hear, smell, touch and taste. The more alcohol and cannabis consumed the more distorted our senses become. If you are smoking weed and drinking at the same time, there are some dangers that you are perhaps not aware of. In cannabis, the chemicals that produce the drug-like effects are called cannabinoids.
Alcohol and weed are the two most commonly abused substances around the world. While some CBD products are being marketed for their health benefits, the FDA is continuing to research CBD.5 The FDA has not endorsed any CBD formula for medical or therapeutic use. Turns out, you might not need much alcohol to change the way your body absorbs THC.