{"id":4463,"date":"2022-01-27T11:13:33","date_gmt":"2022-01-27T11:13:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mysafesmoke.com\/mixing-cbd-and-alcohol-should-you\/"},"modified":"2022-01-27T11:13:33","modified_gmt":"2022-01-27T11:13:33","slug":"mixing-cbd-and-alcohol-should-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mysafesmoke.com\/mixing-cbd-and-alcohol-should-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Mixing CBD and Alcohol: Should You?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By now you\u2019ve probably heard of CBD. In fact, we\u2019d be shocked if you haven\u2019t \u2013 it\u2019s been absolutely everywhere! People take CBD for all sorts of reasons: to feel more relaxed, get relief from chronic pain, or even help protect against cancer.<\/p>\n
But, can you mix CBD and alcohol?<\/p>\n
The truth is there hasn\u2019t been much research done in this area. However, there is some evidence that CBD and alcohol are generally safe when taken together, though there are some caveats.<\/p>\n
Read on to learn everything you need to know about the possible effects of combining CBD and alcohol.<\/p>\n
CBD May Enhance the Effects of Alcohol<\/span><\/h2>\n
Obviously, CBD and alcohol both help you relax. Alcohol is classified as a nervous system depressant \u2013 this means it slows down brain activity, which is why you feel all free and loose after a glass or two.<\/p>\n
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When paired with CBD, however, this effect might be even stronger.<\/p>\n
One of the few studies looking at how alcohol and CBD interact in the human body dates all the way back to 1979. Published in the journal\u00a0Psychopharmacology, this\u00a0study\u00a0gave participants one 200 mg CBD capsule and 1 g of alcohol per kilogram of body weight.<\/p>\n
It found that those who had taken the CBD plus alcohol showed motor impairment and warped time perception \u2013 basically, they became drunk.<\/p>\n
The fact that CBD and alcohol work together to make you feel more uninhibited could be viewed as a good or a bad thing. Release from stress and tension is great, but you\u2019ll also be more inebriated and therefore more likely to make poor decisions.<\/p>\n
So, if you do decide to try combining CBD and alcohol, make sure you\u2019re safe at home. You should also use lower amounts of each than you would if you were taking them independently \u2013 caution is important here.<\/p>\n
CBD May Lower Blood Alcohol Levels<\/span><\/h2>\n
The 1979 study also found that those who drank alcohol and took CBD had lower blood alcohol levels than those who had only drank alcohol. This suggests that CBD may reduce a person\u2019s blood alcohol content.<\/p>\n
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What\u2019s the significance of blood alcohol content? Well, the higher a person\u2019s blood alcohol content, the more \u201cdrunk\u201d they are.<\/p>\n
So, CBD may help you retain cognitive abilities as you become drunk. You would be drunk, but less \u201cunder the influence.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, this finding should be taken with a grain of salt. That\u2019s because more recent studies (for example,\u00a0one\u00a0performed in 2018 with animals) have shown that CBD does\u00a0not\u00a0have a noticeable effect on blood alcohol content.<\/p>\n
It also seems to contradict the idea (from the same study) that CBD combined with alcohol makes a person more drunk than a person who\u2019s drinking alcohol on its own.<\/p>\n
Basically, the jury\u2019s still out on this one. Still, you should probably exercise caution when taking two different substances that both depress the CNS.<\/p>\n
CBD May Guard Against the Negative Effects of Alcohol<\/span><\/h2>\n
It goes without saying that too much alcohol consumption comes with many negative effects: liver disease, death of brain cells, heart problems, etc.<\/p>\n
But what if CBD could actually reduce these effects?<\/p>\n
Studies seem to suggest it can.<\/p>\n
One\u00a0study\u00a0performed in 2013 looked at rats who had neurological issues related to alcohol intake. The researchers applied CBD gel to the skin of these rats, and found that their cellular brain damage was reduced by an amazing 49 %<\/p>\n
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A second\u00a0study\u00a0from 2014\u00a0showed that mice\u2019s livers were protected from oxidative stress brought on by alcohol \u2013 the liver cells regenerated faster, so the damaging effects were less significant.<\/p>\n
If the same applies to humans (and there\u2019s little reason to think it wouldn\u2019t) this information is huge. As opposed to the idea that CBD lowers blood alcohol content, the assertion that it protects against the negative effects of alcohol is more firmly grounded and something to get excited about.<\/p>\n
However, it\u2019s still not solid. Even if it becomes solid, it doesn\u2019t mean you can drink as much as you want without any health consequences (it would be nice but it\u2019s just not realistic), so don\u2019t take it that way!<\/p>\n
CBD as A Treatment for Alcoholism<\/span><\/h2>\n
Another area where CBD may make alcohol more \u201cpalatable\u201d is by reducing the likelihood of a person to become addicted to alcohol, or even help those who already are addicted.<\/p>\n
A 2018\u00a0study\u00a0showed that rats addicted to alcohol had less motivation to drink alcohol after they had been treated with CBD.<\/p>\n
The fact may be that CBD helps with addiction in general. Another\u00a0study\u00a0from 2013 showed that participants who took CBD smoke 40 % fewer cigarettes than those who hadn\u2019t taken CBD.<\/p>\n
It seems clear that CBD can be useful as an adjunct to alcohol withdrawal, such as that experienced by people hoping to quit. One\u00a0study\u00a0showed alcohol withdrawal symptoms were more tolerable for people also taking CBD.<\/p>\n
So, Can You Mix CBD and Alcohol?<\/span><\/h2>\n
The answer is it\u00a0seems\u00a0to be safe, but we just don\u2019t know for sure. If all the above is true, you basically get the good of alcohol without the bad \u2013 CBD may even help with hangovers (especially headaches)!<\/p>\n
The indications that CBD could protect the liver, as well as be used as a treatment for alcoholism, are very promising indeed<\/p>\n
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However, more research needs to be performed before we can with 100 % certainty that the interactions between CBD and alcohol are only positive.<\/p>\n
For now, enjoy that CBD martini at your own risk. You\u2019ll\u00a0probably\u00a0be ok but, obviously, make sure you\u2019re not driving!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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