Hey folks! As 2024 continues to saunter on lazily towards spring, I felt like it would be a good time to address a question we’ve had asked of us more than a few times: Is it safe to mix alcohol and cannabis? What about prescription medications? Well, my fine readers to answer these questions we’re going to have to strap on our learning hats and see what the experts have to say about cannabis and the way it interacts with other substances.
What do the experts say about having a sangria with my blunt?
First of all, a disclaimer. I’m not a doctor. Neither is Brandon or any of the rest of the brilliant, good-looking team that works here. As such, you should always take what we say with a grain of salt when it comes to our opinions on the potential medical benefits of cannabis. When in doubt consult a doctor or pharmacist, particularly when it comes to mixing medications with cannabis.
So, what does science have to say about mixing cannabis and alcohol? Next to combining alcohol and tobacco, alcohol/cannabis are the most common paired intoxicants, so it’s probably a good idea to hear what the people in white coats have to say about it. Simply put, the effects of both are amplified. Which can be seen as both good and bad. On the one hand, if your desire is to party as hardy as you possibly can and damn the consequences, then this is the way to do it. On the other hand, this makes it very easy for the consumer to end up in a place they might not necessarily enjoy and in extreme cases, they could unwittingly be putting themselves into a precarious position. My best advice is to know your own limitations. Which honestly is just good life advice. If you’re someone who starts reenacting the bar dance from “Coyote Ugly” after two Mojitos, maybe exercise caution when combining alcohol and cannabis. That’s how you end up internet famous and not in the good way.
What about other substances and medications?
I’m not going to comment on the consumption of illicit drugs and substances in conjunction with cannabis. Not because I judge, but simply because I don’t know and the information available doesn’t provide enough insight. So as far as that goes, I urge the exercise of caution, cause why gamble on your wellbeing?
When it comes to prescription medications and cannabis, the general rule is you don’t want to add the effects of THC to your body without first consulting a physician to make sure that the pharmaceuticals you’re on don’t have a history of bad interactions with THC. CBD and the minor cannabinoids are a bit different. Because they’re non intoxicating they don’t have the same potential to impede or alter the effects of medication. That being said, the community of pharmacists have come together to try to advise people to the best of their abilities when it comes to what medications shouldn’t be mixed with cannabis regardless of which cannabinoids are dominant or present. If you are on sedatives such as Ambien, anti anxiety medications like Xanax or anti depressants like Prozac or high strength pain medication, they urge you to exercise caution and to not take cannabis in conjunction with these medications. This doesn’t necessarily mean that combining these things will lead to medical issues, but they can’t definitively say they won’t and seeing as the job of the medical community is to look out for our health, they are falling on the side of avoidance until the science comes back on the long-term effects of taking these medications with cannabis. Better safe than sorry and all that jazz.
So, in summary, combining alcohol and cannabis can lead to a highly intoxicating experience, which can be either good or bad for you personally depending on your preference. That being said, alcohol just simply put isn’t good for you. If you consume it and want to continue to, that’s your right and you do you! However, a lot of Canadians are turning away from alcohol and towards cannabis due to the horrifying long-term effects of alcohol consumption and the relatively low social and health impact of consuming cannabis. In fact, cannabis has been used effectively in helping people with various addiction manage their illnesses and start to lead better lives. Just another reason to love weed. Combining cannabis and medications is something that you should be even more cautious about since there’s so little concrete scientific information on the effects. When in doubt, ask a doctor or pharmacist!
Stay healthy folks!
