What Happens If You Mix CBD and Alcohol?

CBD infused alcoholic drinks seem more likely than ever as the larger breweries worldwide test soluble tasteless CBD with there main brands of alcohol. In the meantimes let us explore how CBD and alcohol interact.

In recent times, Cannabidiol (CBD) has ploughed even deeper into the health and wellness space and we often see it topping the list of products people sought for from health stores and supplement shops.
CBD edibles, CBD oils, CBD soft gels, CBD creams, CBD lip balms and many more are CBD products we can find out there.

The numerous spelt-out advantages of CBD in the health and wellness space have got people trying out different products with CBD and most recently we see the alcohol manufacturing industries producing CBD infused alcoholic drinks, ranging from shots, beers and beverages.

you might already be questioning the safety of combining alcohol and CBD, Well many people particularly potential users are also skeptical about the safety of combining these two.

In this article we would be looking into the effects of mixing CBD with alcohol. This review will obviously shed light to your questions.

What Is CBD?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a compound which is found naturally in cannabis plant. CBD alongside THC form the active ingredients in cannabis. CBD on its own does not possess any psychoactive properties and as such cannot deliver the “head high” that is associated with cannabis. So when you think of marijuana in relation to the high feeling one gets, be sure that THC is solely responsible for that feel.

The widespread popularity of CBD in recent years is mind-blowing but definitely not surprising because of its relevance to health. The fact that CBD is available in different forms such as capsules, food products etc. makes them even more popular.

Marijuana for medical application is possible because of cannabidiol CBD, and even though it is not official recommended to use CBD for medical purposes, there are so many promising research which suggests that CBD possesses lots of health benefits which includes reduction of anxiety, management of pain and skin health improvement.

Alcohol is obviously more popular than CBD so I do not need to go into that detail. However, alcohol is evidently known to improve relaxation and also decrease inhibitions in users, obviously when taken in moderation.

Below are some of the happenings when CBD is mixed with alcohols

CBD Mixed With Alcohol Magnifies Each Other’s Effects

Like alcohol, CBD also have similar effects on your body which makes one feeling generally relaxed and decrease stress and anxiety. They both help to calm your nerves and boost your mood. Several studies and researches have been able to prove this conclusions to a certain extent.

Now consuming a mix of alcohol and CBD could magnify or rather amplify these individual effects and by implication resulting in symptoms like too much of sleepiness and also sedation. In some other claims you may notice mood swings and behavioral changes.

A little study on CBD revealed that persons who participated in 200mg dose of CBD together with 1 gram of alcohol per kg of body weight suffered significant impairments in motor skills and /or performance. They also experienced some changes in their perception of time. Participants of this little study did not experience these effects taking CBD alone.

However the above study seem to be obsolete considering that too much of CBD was used in comparison to the quantity that most people make use of.

It is quite unfortunate that quite an insignificant number of researches have been carried out on the health effects of mixing CBD with alcohol especially in the area of mood and behavior.

CBD May Serve As A Shield To The Side Effects Of Alcohol

As earlier stated, very little has been done to enlighten people about the effects of mixing CBD with alcohol. However, very promising research work is ongoing on how CBD might protect us from the negative effects of alcohol.

It is no longer news that excessive alcohol intake results in liver diseases, cell damage and certain kinds of cancer, and studies recently revealed that CBD helps to protect and prevent these damages to cells caused by alcohol.

Several other studies and experiments with animals have further buttressed this findings.
It is however still not clear if these findings will have same effect on human. Hence reason why more studies need be undertaken to reveal whether CBD truly prevents or shield against cell damages induced by alcohol.

Excessive intake of alcohol build up higher Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) which reduces motor performance in humans.

A recent study undertaken by 10 participants who took 200mg of CBD alongside alcohol revealed lower blood alcohol levels compared to when they consumed only alcohol. Other studies revealed contradicting blood alcohol levels when CBD was administered with alcohol, though it was tested on animals.

There are very insignificant number of research work on the effect of CBD on blood alcohol concentration and as such, more studies would need to be carried out to verify this claim.

The use of CBD as therapy for excessive alcohol consumption is also making waves and researches are underway to verify the assertion.

Recent studies revealed that CBD in alcohol helps decrease motivation to consume alcohol as carried out on alcohol addicted rats. There are a few limitations to research on humans, however a recent study on smokers showed that 24 smokers who used CBD inhalers declined in the use of cigarettes by 40% and this made researchers suggest that CBD helps in controlling addictions.

More research and studies obviously needs to be carried out to confirm whether CBD aids in alcohol related addiction.

Should You Mix CBD & Alcohol?

There is no research that can provides enough detail on the effects of mixing CBD with alcohol and there is actually none that discredit the claims that it might be a possibility.

However most of the research we’ve seen that promotes mixing of CBD with alcohol were characterized by a consumption of very high and unconventional quantity of alcohol with CBD. Much is also not revealed about taken moderate amount of the mixture. Until this studies and claims are verified, it is not advisable to mix CBD with alcohol. But if must take this mixture, maybe you should stick to low quantity in order to reduce any possible adverse effects.

The Bottom Line

Some of the studies and researches reveals some form of logic in them but they remain hypothesis until more research can clear the air.

But for now we know that CBD mixed with alcohol will obviously magnify each other’s effects on humans. Which includes too much of sleeping and also sedation.

Also many researches on animals and humans have also proven beyond doubts that mixing CBD with alcohol prevents damages to cells and decreases blood alcohol concentration and reduces relapse in the course of quitting addiction.

More researches need to be done and they should focus more on humans and examine the effects of the dosages or amount that will pose less risk or adverse effect.

Unfortunately, most of the existing research focuses on animals receiving high amounts of both CBD and alcohol. Not enough research examines the effects of moderate doses in humans. Until then we cannot recommend that you go around mixing CBD with alcohol.

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