Mixing Marijuana and Alcohol: Side Effects and Dangers

So if you’re planning to detox from marijuana, drinking alcohol is not advised. Further, if you try to cut back on either alcohol or cannabis, your reliance on the other substance is likely to increase. You can absorb THC more quickly when there’s alcohol in your blood, which can increase the risk of experiencing uncomfortable side effects. When people drink and smoke marijuana together, alcohol increases the amount of THC that is absorbed into the body.

If you think you’re abusing these or other substances, help is available. You shouldn’t mix marijuana and alcohol. Because a person becomes more impaired when they mix THC and alcohol, it can be hard to tell if a person is reacting to too much drink or too much cannabis.

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When users smoke or eat too much cannabis they can fall into a powerful, fearful state. When the psychoactive effects set in, users find that new side effects can emerge. Heavy users report contracting a wheeze and will often experience coughing fits upon inhaling the smoke. Marijuana is used by people from all walks of life and is the second most popular psychoactive drug, after alcohol. Some users report heightened experiences with food and music, among other activities. Since 1996, when California successfully legalized the plant for medical use, marijuana has been increasingly legitimized and legalized nationwide.

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According to recent research, around 75% of young people who use cannabis also drink alcohol. Amanda Stevens is a highly respected figure in the field of medical content writing, with a specific focus on eating disorders and addiction treatment. The impact on liver function can be more severe than with alcohol alone, as both substances require liver processing. If you’ve been drinking heavily, it’s best to avoid cannabis altogether, as alcohol expands your blood vessels and can dramatically increase THC absorption.

The mental health effects of weed and alcohol

• While these effects are typically not life-threatening, they can be extremely unpleasant and potentially dangerous if you need to respond to an emergency or are in an unsafe environment.
• While many people use cannabis without significant issues, it can cause both short-term and long-term side effects that vary from person to person.
• Tending to your physical health is important for harm reduction, Lyter says.
• This means you may not be able to throw up alcohol when your body needs to.

The Recovery Village Columbus offers comprehensive addiction treatment for drug and alcohol addictions and co-occurring mental health conditions. It is always recommended to consult with a healthcare provider before consuming alcohol and cannabis together. Patients with certain medical conditions, such as liver disease or mental health disorders, should also exercise caution when consuming both substances. Still, this is a pretty common combination that people try in an attempt to enhance the effects of both substances. Another risk of an alcohol and marijuana combination is that you may take too much of either substance.

Is a weed hangover the same as an alcohol hangover?

However, younger and inexperienced drinkers are also known to overdose on alcohol when they fail to understand their own limits or succumb to peer pressure to drink far more than is prudent. An alcoholic overdose can be fatal or leave lasting damage, while a marijuana overdose might be very unpleasant but has almost never been found to be fatal on its own. Use also increases when users experience a difficult time in their lives, such as the loss of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or even mental illness. When a drinker introduces cannabis to the mix, the effects of the both substance are enhanced. If you or a loved one are struggling with marijuana, alcohol or polysubstance abuse, The Recovery Village Columbus can help. However, alcohol overdose is well combining alcohol and marijuana produces documented and often requires medical attention.

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So, a single glass of wine alongside a joint will produce stronger effects than a can of beer. For context, many people consider beer and wine to be relatively equivalent drinks. This is primarily due to the varying levels of alcohol in each. When it comes to beer, wine, and hard liquor, each can produce different results when mixed with cannabis. However, higher doses can lead to impaired judgment, motor control, and coordination, increasing the risk of accidents and injuries. Spirits and hard liquor are distilled from fermented mixtures of grains, fruits, or vegetables, resulting in higher alcohol concentrations.

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In extreme cases of consuming edibles, people have experienced hallucinations, delusions, and other psychotic reactions. These symptoms can be even more intense if the marijuana is consumed as an edible. Using substances to cope with negative feelings may be a sign of a substance use disorder. 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.

This is the case even if you use medical marijuana, since THC and alcohol have been found to interact. The exact risks of mixing marijuana and alcohol, or other cannabinoids and alcohol, are not well studied. The potency of either substance can also impact the level of alcohol and weed concentration in your blood. However, the use of edibles with alcohol could be unpredictable, as many people do not feel the effects of the THC for a long period.

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All of this isn’t to say that you’ll definitely green out or have alcohol poisoning if you mix weed and alcohol –– it’s to make you aware of the risks if you go overboard with consuming one or both of these drugs. Mixing alcohol and weed can have serious risks—know when to seek help While getting cross-faded might seem harmless, this combination can be dangerous, especially if too much of one or both substances are consumed. Read on to learn about how the combination of the substances can affect you.

Physical tolerance to one substance doesn’t mean you’re protected from the enhanced effects of their interaction. Similarly, if you’ve already used cannabis, waiting several hours before considering alcohol allows you to gauge your level of impairment better. Healthcare providers and treatment specialists can work with you to develop a plan that fits your life circumstances, whether you want to cut back or quit entirely. Many people find success with support groups, therapy, or counseling sessions that help address both the substance use itself and any underlying factors contributing to it. All states have strict laws against driving under the influence of either substance, and the penalties are often enhanced when multiple substances are involved. This combination can also make you more prone to cannabis overconsumption, which can include pale skin, sweating, nausea, anxiety, and, in some cases, temporary blackouts.

Seeking help is a proactive step toward taking control of your health and well-being. While these effects are typically not life-threatening, they can be extremely unpleasant and potentially dangerous if you need to respond to an emergency or are in an unsafe environment. This delayed onset can lead people to misjudge their level of intoxication. Alcohol can increase THC absorption in your bloodstream, meaning you might get much higher than expected from your usual amount of cannabis.

• In rare cases, chronic marijuana use can result in cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, which causes severe nausea, vomiting, and dehydration.
• Hard liquor, with its concentrated alcohol content, can have particularly potent effects when combined with cannabis.
• They may weaken the effectiveness of your medication or increase your risk for certain side effects.
• Physical coordination and reaction time can be impaired, which is why driving under the influence is both dangerous and illegal.

For example, impaired judgment symptoms are more obvious. Verify your insurance today – treatment could be more affordable than you think. THC acts on cannabinoid receptors in the brain, which can lead to cognitive effects and impairments. THC and alcohol are both psychoactive.

When you drink alcohol before consuming weed –– whether smoking, vaping, or taking edibles –– this increases THC levels in your blood, Lyter says. This may be partially due to the fact that both substances act on the body’s endocannabinoid system. “Weed and alcohol have a synergistic relationship, consuming them together amplifies and intensifies the effects of both,” says Sarah Lyter, LCPC, MA, a Clinical Supervisor at Charlie Health.

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It is our hope that with increased awareness, more and more people will get help with their alcohol problems. Alcohol Addiction Center is a free, web-based resource helping to bring education and information to the world of alcohol addiction. Only medical professionals are prepared to deal with some of the life-threatening symptoms this can create. Some cannabis users may find that their use has gotten out of control. For an alcoholic overdose, drinkers should be taken to a hospital where they can have their stomach pumped and remain under observation until the drug has processed out of their system. Such an alcoholic overdose is often symptomatic of a chronic alcoholic condition, as those with a higher tolerance are more prone to overdose.