Mixing Alcohol and Weed: Why and How Alcohol and THC Interact

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 potency of either substance can also impact the level of alcohol and weed concentration in your blood.8 For instance, a beer has lower alcohol per volume and you tend to drink it more slowly than a shot. Your body, therefore, absorbs it more slowly, leading to lower blood alcohol levels.

Without covariates, product combinations explained 28% of the variance in the consequence outcome, 35% of the alcohol consumption outcome, and 55% of the cannabis consumption outcome. Starting low and going slow is important in avoiding any adverse effects of mixing weed and alcohol. This means starting with small amounts of both substances and gradually increasing the dosage as needed. It’s also necessary to be aware of safe consumption levels for each substance and avoid exceeding them.

Aside from concentrate + beer, these combinations resulted in significantly greater rates of drinking after adjusting for covariates. By contrast, concentrate + beer resulted in significantly lower rates of drinking (see Figure 4B). All leaf combinations had significantly lower rates of cannabis use, relative to using liquor + 2 cannabis products on that day (see Figure 4C). Given the novelty of the present work, findings should be considered preliminary, and future work is needed to examine the replicability of these findings before firm conclusions are drawn.

Findings from this research suggested that the performance impairment of driving-related skills attributed to alcohol were potentiated by cannabis. However, alcohol administration before cannabis administration did not significantly impact subjective ratings of “high,” heart rate, or THC plasma concentration. Similarly, Ramaekers et al. 68 assessed the separate and combined effect of alcohol and cannabis administration on driving performance during a balanced, 6-way, crossover design investigation. During separate sessions, participants were administered cannabis (0, 100, or 200 μg/kg) with and without alcohol administration (0.04 g/dl) and subsequently completed actual driving tasks. Cannabis and alcohol alone significantly impaired performance in the driving tasks, and the combination of cannabis and alcohol impaired driving performance to a greater degree. In another study by Ramaekers et al. 69, heavy cannabis users were recruited for a double-blind, placebo-controlled, three-way examination of tolerance and cross-tolerance to the neurocognitive effects of cannabis and alcohol.

Cross Faded: Understanding the Meaning, Symptoms and Risks

1. Some evidence also indicates that individuals consume certain alcohol products for specific reasons (e.g., consuming wine with meals; Callinan and MacLean, 2016; Kuntsche et al., 2006), suggesting within-person variability in alcohol product use.
2. It is important to acknowledge that the consequence items included in the present study were heavily weighted toward alcohol-specific consequences, which may also explain the relation between using multiple alcohol products and consequences.
3. It’s important to be aware of these potential risks and understand how they can impact overall well-being.
4. If you’re old enough, you may remember hearing in the anti-drug class at school that when taken together, alcohol and cannabis double the effects of one another.

This treatment may include formal treatment, such as rehab, and community resources, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). The choice of treatment will depend on factors such as the severity of substance use, personal preferences, and the presence of any co-occurring mental health disorders. It’s important to consult with a healthcare professional or addiction specialist to determine the most suitable treatment approach. It’s important to note that alcohol and marijuana can have synergistic effects, meaning that their combined impact may be greater than the sum of their individual effects. This can lead to heightened cognitive impairment, making it even combining alcohol and marijuana produces more dangerous to engage in activities such as driving or operating machinery. When alcohol and marijuana are consumed together, their effects can interact and intensify, leading to unpredictable outcomes.

Legal and Social Consequences

Drinking alcohol before smoking weed can produce a stronger high, which may cause intense symptoms in some people. Some people, especially those who are not used to weed consumption, may experience a “green out.” A green out can cause intense and unpleasant symptoms, such as dizziness, sweating, nausea, and vomiting. Weed and alcohol together can also impair reaction times and other cognitive functions necessary for safe driving. Research indicates that there is an association between frequent heavy alcohol use and poor mental health, including psychological distress and low life satisfaction. Alcohol is a diuretic, which means that it causes people to produce more urine.

Long-term physical health risks

So long as both substances are legal to possess and consume in your jurisdiction, then yes, they are legal to combine. However, the legality of both alcohol and cannabis varies by state and country. While there are little to no restrictions on the possession of alcohol, the same cannot be said of cannabis in some parts of the country. While many states have legalized both recreational and medicinal marijuana, some have not. Possession of cannabis in such jurisdictions still carries hefty legal penalties.

Crossfading is when someone uses different substances simultaneously, with the most common combination being alcohol and marijuana. This term is often used in social situations where people consume alcohol and marijuana together. While some may see crossfading as a way to enhance their experience, it’s important to understand the risks involved in mixing substances. Alcohol and marijuana/cannabis are frequently used simultaneously (i.e., SAM use).

There is limited research available on the long-term effects of consuming alcohol alongside weed, which people also call marijuana or cannabis. If you’ve mixed weed and alcohol and are having a bad reaction, it’s probably because alcohol seems to make the high from using weed stronger. This can happen any time you’ve consumed to much weed — with or without alcohol.

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. Smoking marijuana while taking duloxetine (Cymbalta) is not recommended without consulting your doctor. The combination may increase the risk of side effects like dizziness, confusion, and impaired motor skills. However, use of edibles with alcohol could be unpredictable as many people do not feel the effects of the THC for a long period of time.