In 1991, only 2 percent of fatal car accidents involved drivers impaired by THC and alcohol. In 2008, more than 10 percent of fatal crashes were caused by drivers under the influence of both drugs. While 6 ways adult children of alcoholics struggle later in life it’s not entirely clear why drinking alcohol makes weed more potent, it may be because of the way alcohol affects blood vessels. This may allow the lungs to absorb more THC when someone smokes marijuana.

1. The way you consume weed can have a big impact on its short- and long-term effects.
2. This may cause you to make unsafe decisions, especially if you’re unaware of your impairment level.
3. Alcohol is one of the most widely consumed substances worldwide, with millions of people drinking it daily.
4. Drinking alcohol is ingrained in so many social situations, but most methods of cannabis consumption don’t work well as a replacement.
5. While being intoxicated with weed feels different than being intoxicated with alcohol, the two have roughly the same effect on your cognitive abilities, reflexes, and judgment.

If you have any concerns or questions about laws, regulations, or your health, you should always consult with an attorney, physician or other licensed professional. Well, first off, keep in mind that using both substances together can produce unique effects on the human body, and it’s vital to use them in moderation and with caution. The feeling of being cross-faded can vary widely from person to person, with some describing a sense of euphoria and heightened effects. 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.

How Alcohol Affects THC

The way you consume weed can have a big impact on its short- and long-term effects. For example, smoking is rough on your lungs, but this risk doesn’t apply to edibles. But if you do decide to mix the two, start slow and keep track of how much you’re consuming of each. Still, there’s some evidence to suggest that regularly combining a review on alcohol may have some concerning effects over time. While there’s some research around the effects of drinking alcohol before using weed, there isn’t much about the opposite approach. If you’re experiencing alcohol poisoning, you need immediate medical help.

Be mindful of your tolerance for both substances and how much alcohol you consume. It’s also important to note that different methods of taking THC affect the body differently. When weed is inhaled, THC is released into the bloodstream very quickly, but if it’s ingested in food or drink, it can take longer to feel its effects. Those who are sensitive to weed or who don’t have much experience using it may want to avoid mixing weed and alcohol, as they’re more likely to experience unpleasant side effects. Patients with certain medical conditions, such as liver disease or mental health disorders, should also exercise caution when consuming both substances.

Both can also leave you feeling a bit worse for wear the next day, though this is more likely to happen with alcohol. American Addiction Centers (AAC) is committed to delivering original, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and medically current information. We strive to create content that is clear, concise, and easy to understand. Turns out, you might not need much alcohol to change the way your body absorbs THC. If you aren’t careful, the duo can lead to a case of the spins or a green out, two reactions that can turn a fun night out into a nauseated night in.

While being intoxicated with weed feels different than being intoxicated with alcohol, the two have roughly the same effect on your cognitive abilities, reflexes, and judgment. It might seem harmless to mix alcohol and weed, but doing so can be a slippery slope toward getting overly intoxicated. Both weed and alcohol, together and on their own, are also potentially addictive and can lead to dependence and misuse.

How to handle a bad reaction

Combining weed and alcohol can increase the effects of both drugs and cause adverse reactions. The combination can also lead people to engage in unusual or risky behaviors. Alcohol and marijuana are both psychoactive substances, meaning they can change the way a person thinks and feels. Mixing the two can intensify these mind-altering effects, increase the risks of driving drunk and make a person sick. A 2017 review of existing studies notes that people who use alcohol and weed together tend to consume more of both. This can increase your risk for developing a dependence on alcohol, weed, or both.

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. The order in which a person uses weed and alcohol may affect the outcome. Research indicates that there is an association between frequent heavy alcohol use and poor mental health, including psychological distress and low life satisfaction.

The size of the study makes it difficult to draw any firm conclusions, and a few other studies have failed to duplicate these results. Even so, it provides important insight rockland recovery into how an individual’s body may react when they combine the two substances. Alcohol is rapidly absorbed into the blood through the stomach and the small intestine.

Drinking alcohol before smoking weed can amplify the effects of marijuana. Alcohol boosts your body’s absorption of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive ingredient in weed. Starting low and going slow is important in avoiding any adverse effects of mixing weed and alcohol.

Recognizing alcohol poisoning

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. If you want to mix the two, pay careful attention to how much of each you’re consuming, especially if you’ve never mixed them before. If you use weed before drinking, pay extra attention to how much you’ve had to drink. To err on the side of caution, assume you’ve had a bit more to drink than you actually have, or aim to drink less than you usually would without using weed. 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.

Smoking weed after drinking alcohol

When you mix weed and alcohol, you may experience side effects that range from unpleasant to serious. Generally, combining alcohol and weed won’t lead to serious health issues unless too much of the two substances is consumed. The effects of combining alcohol and cannabis can lead to a higher risk of accidents and injuries, as well as increase the likelihood of adverse outcomes, such as vomiting, panic attacks, and paranoia. In other words, it makes it a lot easier to start “greening out” (feeling light-headed or nauseous after getting too intoxicated too quickly. 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.

For example, one person may have a very low tolerance for weed but be able to tolerate alcohol well. Another person might not have any issues with misusing alcohol but still find it hard to function without weed. Sure, research on the topic is ramping up a bit, but there’s still a lack of large, long-term studies. Before getting into comparing alcohol and weed, it’s important to understand some of the factors that make the comparison tricky.

What Happens When Someone Smokes Weed and Then Drink Alcohol?

There are countless alcoholic beverages available to consumers these days, including beer, wine, spirits, and hard liquor. Beer is made by fermenting grains such as barley, wheat, or rye, while wine is made by fermenting grapes. On the other hand, spirits and hard liquor are distilled from fermented mixtures of grains, fruits, or vegetables, resulting in higher alcohol concentrations. Weed use before alcohol may slow down the rise in blood alcohol levels, which can reduce or delay the sensation of being drunk. However, this finding comes from older research, and some people have questioned this study. Unfortunately, more people are driving under the influence of weed and alcohol.

This is because both alcohol and THC, the active psychoactive compound in cannabis, are two different kinds of substances. Still, this is a pretty common combination that people try in an attempt to enhance the effects of both substances. As the cannabis industry continues to grow, there has been a rise in the popularity of infused beverages, which offer a unique and potentially safer way to consume both weed and alcohol.

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. Therefore, it is important to research and understand the laws and regulations in your area before consuming alcohol and weed together. Estimating intoxication can be challenging when combining alcohol and cannabis, but several tips and tricks can help. These include monitoring the number of drinks consumed, pacing consumption over time, and using tools like breathalyzers or blood tests to measure alcohol levels.