People may use alcohol and marijuana together, but their combined effects can increase your risk of higher THC levels, greater impairment and alcohol poisoning. It is not advised to combine alcohol and cannabis if you have a history of substance abuse or are currently taking medication that can interact with either substance. Additionally, combining the two can increase the risk of potentially harmful or distressing side effects, such as dizziness, nausea, and impaired judgment. 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.

Can You Overdose On Alcohol & Marijuana?

Patients with certain medical conditions, such as liver disease or mental health disorders, should also exercise harbor house sober living caution when consuming both substances. It is always recommended to consult with a healthcare provider before consuming alcohol and cannabis together. Conversely, wine can produce more potent effects than beer when consumed with cannabis, due to its higher alcohol content.

Used alone and in moderation, these substances can be consumed safely and legally in certain states. However, when mixed together, alcohol and marijuana can create unpleasant side effects. Their effects suppress, impair and inhibit the brain’s ability to function as it should. When alcohol and weed are mixed together, the effects of each individual substance become exaggerated. This can result in a person losing control of their actions and even overdosing. It’s also important to note that if you regularly use an alcohol and marijuana combination, you’re at a higher risk of developing a dependence on one or both of the substances.

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. Therefore, more laboratory research is needed on pharmacokinetic interactions between cannabis and alcohol and performance impairments from co-use. To date, research in this area has been constrained by a relatively low dose of cannabis administered relative to cannabis with much higher THC potency commonly in use today 46. This increased potency has been implicated in worse behavioral outcomes including increased alcohol intoxication, yet has been largely left unstudied. This type of research is difficult to conduct, however, due to the classification of cannabis as a Schedule I substance that restricts researcher access to cannabis products 102.

Problems and Behavioral Consequences Associated with Co-use

These include monitoring the number of drinks consumed, pacing consumption over time, and using tools like breathalyzers or blood tests to measure alcohol levels. Cross-fading is a term used to describe the simultaneous use of alcohol and cannabis. Specifically, when a person is both drunk and high at the same time, they’re “cross-faded.” This is because the combination of weed and alcohol produces a unique experience more pronounced than consuming either on its own. If weed use does slow down the increase in blood alcohol levels, this may cause people to drink more than usual. In turn, this could increase risky behavior and the likelihood of alcohol goodbye letter to addiction poisoning.

Although it is possible to experience negative side effects from marijuana, such as anxiety and paranoia, the drug is considered generally safe and non-life threatening. It is common for someone who drinks whilst smoking weed and suffering from mental health to not attribute the substances as the cause. They are likely to use even more alcohol and weed to self-medicate; unintentionally worsening their symptoms. If you are concerned about your level of alcohol or cannabis use, seek treatment from a mental health provider who works with substance use issues. This treatment may include formal treatment, such as rehab, and community resources, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). This is the case even if you use medical marijuana since THC and alcohol have been found to interact.1 It is not currently known if there is any completely safe level of alcohol and THC in the brain’s cannabinoid system.

Higher risk of dependence

It is commonly known that alcohol is addictive, but there is does alcohol affect gallbladder debate over whether marijuana can be considered addictive. It is possible to develop a dependence on marijuana, where a person experiences cravings, restlessness, mood and sleep disturbances, and irritability when they don’t use the drug. If alcohol or marijuana is negatively impacting your life and you seem unable to quit on your own, there is help available. Depending on the individual and the amount consumed, users may experience altered senses (such as seeing brighter colors and have an altered sense of time) as well as have issues with cognition. There have been reports of delusions and hallucinations when taken in high doses.

1. 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.
2. In the United States, the legal blood alcohol content (BAC) limit for driving is 0.08% in nearly every state.
3. Even small amounts of edibles can produce strong highs, depending on the amount of THC and other cannabinoids that they contain.
4. Karoly, Hollis C.; Ross, J. Megan; Prince, Mark A.; et al. “Effects of cannabis use on alcohol consu…drinkers in Colorado.” Addiction, September 2021.
5. In a survey of young adults aged 18 to 23, being cross-faded “was seen as moderately risky and not desirable by most.” However, over 18% of respondents stated that being cross-faded was desirable.
6. Research indicates that there is an association between frequent heavy alcohol use and poor mental health, including psychological distress and low life satisfaction.

There is little research on what happens if you drink alcohol first and then use cannabis, and vice versa. The studies that have been conducted have only examined drinking alcohol first and then using weed. These studies are mostly pre-2000 and include small numbers of participants, but they may provide some preliminary insight into how mixing weed and alcohol at different times affects the side effects. The short-term effects of alcohol can include impaired cognitive 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.

“Acute and residual effects of alcohol an…mood and performance.” Psychopharmacology (Berlin), July 1994. While awaiting medical attention, it is important to keep the person safe from harm. This includes preventing injury and providing reassurance and emotional support. Marijuana impacts areas of the brain responsible for memory, thinking, pleasure and perceiving time and senses. Alcohol is a depressant that affects the entire central nervous system, heavily impacting motor skills, judgment, cognition and memory.