CBD and Alcohol: Is It Safe to Mix or Take Them Together?

Whether you take CBD frequently or occasionally for therapeutic reasons, you still might be concerned about its interaction with alcohol. But still, there isn’t adequate research data available on mixing CBD with alcoholic beverages. However, we can check CBD and alcohol separately to address the very question; Is it safe to take CBD while being an alcohol user? The short answer is Yes. But the comprehensive answer is far more complicated.

When it comes to combining psychotropic cannabis with alcohol, there are several obvious problems. Alcohol and marijuana are not the most sophisticated match. CBD, in contrast, might be a different story. CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabis compound that has become famous for enhancing sleep, relieving pain, reducing anxiety, and much more.

CBD-infused cocktails and beers are getting popular recently, so you might think it is reasonably safe. However, the truth is not so straightforward. Despite the lack of sufficient data on CBD and alcohol, researchers believe the two compounds interact. Furthermore, some specialists feel that they may magnify one another because both compounds have comparable sedative effects. Thus, the outcome of the overall experience might be more intensive.

How Do CBD And Alcohol Affect Your Health?

CBD and alcohol are entirely two different ball games in the perspective of influencing human health. A brief analysis of the two compounds is discussed below. We will discuss and analyze the two compounds in brief in the following sections:

What Exactly Is CBD?

Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, is a naturally occurring phytocannabinoid found in cannabis plants. It is a member of the cannabinoid family, which includes THC and other active compounds.

THC, the psychoactive component in cannabis plants, has a distinct molecular structure from CBD. CBD will not make you high, but it will provide you with a variety of therapeutic benefits.

Relief from pain, anxiety, stress, discomfort, inflammation and sleep loss are some of the positive therapeutic effects of CBD. It may also assist the body by regulating neurotransmission and boosting the immune system.

Hemp is well known for having a high amount of CBD and a low amount of THC. Moreover, manufacturers are developing completely THC-free CBD products. Thus, hemp-based CBD products are lawful in all 50 States in the USA and are compliant with federal law.

Again, some manufacturers also use THC-enriched cannabis plants to extract CBD. These products will have a higher THC content and will only be lawful in states that have legalized marijuana for recreational or medicinal purposes.

The cannabinoid CBD has been studied at high doses up to 1,500 mg daily – with no fatal adverse effects. There are still no instances of CBD overdoses resulting in death. In contrast, alcohol’s effects on the human body are on the other side of the coin.

Related: How to Take CBD? | Six Unique Ways for CBD Beginners!

What Exactly Is Alcohol?

Alcohol, often known as ethanol, is the principal toxic element in alcoholic beverages. This same compound is responsible for making you feel drunk by intoxicating your body.

The fermentation process takes place while producing alcohol with the interaction of sugar and yeast, in carbohydrate-rich foods like potatoes, grains, and grapes.

It’s also ranking top as one of the most abused substances worldwide. Alcohol has the potential to significantly affect your mental state, jeopardizing motor abilities, reasoning, and decision-making abilities.

When under the influence of alcohol, people frequently act without restraint. It gives people bravery, decreases timidity, and has a sedative impact on the neurological system.

Grogginess, impaired speech, blurred vision, poor judgment, auditory difficulties, inadequate coordination, and seizures are some of the short-termed adverse effects of alcohol.
In the long run, excessive drinking of alcohol has far more severe consequences. Alcohol poisoning regularly can result in alcoholism, starvation, nerve damage, liver illness, and irreversible brain damage. These are only a handful of the adverse effects of alcohol abuse.

The Interactions When You Mix CBD And Alcohol

One of the primary active components in cannabis plants is cannabidiol, aka CBD. It’s non-psychoactive, which implies it won’t get your mind altered with high or drunk feelings. CBD products will not make you high or drunk within a legal threshold of THC (less than 0.3%).

The wide-spreading CBD products are gaining popularity to manage chronic pain, anxiety, insomnia, and other ailments in the form of oils, pills, gummies, topical creams, sprays, and many more.

The most probable cause for combining CBD and alcohol arises implicitly. You might take CBD to alleviate the symptoms and then have a few drinks afterward, accidentally combining the two substances.

Sometimes people intentionally mix CBD and alcohol to counteract several of the adverse effects of drinking, including nausea and headaches. According to an intriguing study, CBD may even be capable of lowering our blood alcohol content, although this study is at best theoretical.

The significant interactions between CBD and alcohol when you mix them are discussed below:

01. Alcohol And CBD Have The Potential For Enhancing Sleep

CBD and alcohol have a lot in common when it comes to their impact patterns on our bodies. They are both classed as central nervous system relaxants, which means they cause the body’s major nervous system and brain to relax. Excessive relaxation might have negative consequences such as drowsiness or tiredness.

When CBD is mixed with alcohol or even other relaxants, their combined effects may be amplified, resulting in a considerably more significant calming effect on our body. For those who want to enhance their sleep or manage insomnia, this might be beneficial.

In one research, 72 people who took 25 to 75 mg of CBD for a month had significant increases in their sleep quality. Drinking has been linked to comparable outcomes in other research. The effects of alcohol on sleep were investigated in depth in one study. Small doses of alcohol (1 to 2 standard drinks) were shown to enhance the initial half of the sleep in this research. Again following the same study, a heavy dosage of alcohol (higher than two standard drinks) improved the initial half of sleep but had a detrimental influence on the latter half, when most REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep happens.

If you like to prevent falling asleep too early when you’re hanging out with pals, this combined CBD and alcohol interaction can be a setback.

Related: How Many CBD Gummies Should I Take for Sleep?

02. Mixing Alcohol And CBD May Lower Your Blood Pressure

Combining CBD and Alcohol can induce a decrease in blood pressure, the same as how they might connect to make you drowsy. 

Just consider your blood vessel to be a hosepipe with water running through it. The water sprays out along with considerably higher pressure when you lay your thumb over the end of the hose to limit the aperture. When blood arteries tighten or constrict, what causes blood flow with much higher pressure. 

Basically, CBD and alcohol are vasodilators, which means they can relax and widen (dilate) your blood vessels. When you mix alcohol and CBD, the impacts are amplified, resulting in even lower blood pressure. Likewise, when you remove your thumb, which widens the pipe area, and the pressure decreases.

If this impact is too powerful, blood pressure might drop dangerously low, making it difficult for the heart to pump enough blood and oxygen into the brain. You may feel queasy or lightheaded as a result of this. It may lead you to pass out if it becomes too severe.

03. CBD Might Counteract Negative Withdrawal Effects Of Alcohol

Despite the fact CBD may be able to combat the negative effects of alcohol, owing to the possibility for undesirable adverse effects stated on previous points, we still do not suggest you combine CBD oil with alcohol together.

Combining CBD oil with alcohol has certain advantages, such as reducing nausea, urge to vomit, and headaches caused by alcohol. According to several studies, CBD may even help keep blood alcohol levels in check when we’re drinking.

The positive effects of CBD counteracting against alcohol withdrawals are as follows:

CBD Oil May Help With Nausea And Vomiting

CBD oil may help with nausea or urge to vomit as an anti-nauseant agent. But it’s only viable when you take any full-spectrum CBD oil where the entourage effect is assured.

Study shows, many plant-based cannabinoids found in hemp can help with nausea, but tetrahydrocannabinol, aka THC, marijuana’s primary psychoactive component — has the most significant impact.

A high-quality full-spectrum CBD oil should include trace quantities of THC (no more than 0.3%), which avoids euphoric side effects. Thus, CBD oil with trace levels of THC has the most anti-nauseant effects. Full-spectrum CBD also ensures the entourage effect where all the phytocannabinoids work synergically for maximum health benefits.

Related: Full spectrum vs Broad Spectrum CBD: What’s The Difference

CBD Oil Has The Potential To Relieve Headaches

A typical adverse effect of consuming alcohol is headaches. They typically appear after the liquor fades off or the following day because of your hangover. Alcohol can induce headaches for several reasons, including:

• Deficiency of Magnesium (Mg)
• Lake of water or dehydration
• Deficiencies in B vitamins

However, CBD won’t resolve the primary reasons for alcohol-induced headaches; it might alleviate the symptoms and mitigate discomfort.

CBD has been found in studies to help with intracranial hypertension, migraines, cluster headaches, and nerve-related head discomfort, among other things. Anecdotal evidence suggests that CBD can also assist with alcohol-related headaches.

The easiest method to avoid a headache following drinking is to drink plenty of water while doing so and take magnesium and vitamin B supplements at the end of the night. The effects of alcohol cause increased demands for these nutrients, and if they are not replenished before dawn, they might become depleted.

CBD Interactions With Blood Alcohol Levels

Persons who were administered with 200 mg of CBD had lower blood alcohol levels than people who received a placebo, according to an old study during 1979. Intoxication, loss of motor skills, and changes in cognitive function are all linked to higher blood alcohol levels.

CBD might help to lower blood alcohol levels by promoting quicker alcohol metabolism in the liver. Having said so, the supporting data for this is shaky at best. The CBD treatment group and the placebo control group in animal trials published in 2018 showed no differences in blood alcohol levels.

Therefore, more study is necessary to establish how CBD impacts blood alcohol levels, and the above impact should not be used to remain under the legal alcohol drinking limits.

Is CBD Safe For Alcoholics In Recovery?

Because of the health advantages of CBD, some people choose to use CBD oil to aid their recovery from alcohol addiction.

CBD is a harmless chemical, according to the World Health Organization, with no serious adverse effects. It has an addiction potential equivalent to a placebo, and people can tolerate dosages as high as 1500 mg daily without experiencing any side effects.

High doses of CBD oil have been linked to a few minor adverse effects, including dry mouth, dizziness, tiredness or fatigue, changes in appetite, and even diarrhea, according to many studies.

CBD can also affect how the liver processes some medicines. CBD inhibits the CYP450 enzyme system, which is responsible for drug metabolism. Combining CBD with your regular medication may create a negative interaction, resulting in subtherapeutic or dangerous drug concentrations in the circulation system. You shouldn’t use CBD oil with any drug that has a grapefruit warning.

We recommend visiting a medical doctor to determine the best CBD and medication schedule for you.

Is It Safe To Mix & Take CBD And Alcohol?

The consequences of combining CBD with alcohol are currently unknown due to a lack of study.

CBD has proven to decrease some of the negative effects of alcohol in both people and animals in several studies. However, no evidence combining CBD and alcohol has negative health consequences.

Moreover, because the effects of CBD differ from person to person, it’s difficult to say if combining CBD and alcohol will have the same impact on everyone.

Furthermore, most recent research considers the impact of taking large amounts of alcohol while consuming CBD instead of the consequences of drinking a few drinks here and there while consuming CBD.

As a result, the consequences of fair or occasional use are less well understood. Thus, it’s not a good idea to combine CBD with alcohol, particularly if you’re not sure how either one will affect you.

If you decide to combine CBD and alcohol, use minor quantities of both to avoid negative side effects. If you have any concerns, speak with your healthcare practitioner.

Is It Safe To Combine CBD Oil With Wine?

CBD has been shown in both human and animal studies to decrease some of the adverse effects of alcohol. However, no evidence combining CBD with wine has negative health consequences.

However, because CBD’s effects vary from person to person, it’s impossible to know if mixing CBD and wine would have the same effect on everyone.

Furthermore, the consequences of consuming a few drinks here and there while taking CBD are not yet widely studied, in contrast to the hazards of drinking copious amounts of alcohol while consuming CBD.

In general, still, we don’t learn enough about the effects of modest and infrequent use. As a result, you should be cautious about combining CBD and wine, especially if you’re unsure how each will affect you.

If you decide to combine CBD and wine, start with a small quantity of each to avoid experiencing adverse side effects.

Taking CBD Before And After Alcohol Consumption

As previously stated, taking CBD after consuming alcohol might indeed help to alleviate hangover symptoms, defend your body from alcohol-induced damage, and assist post-drinking recovery.

Consuming CBD preceding drinks, on the other hand, may help to reduce blood alcohol levels. The quantity of alcohol in your blood after drinking is referred to as blood alcohol levels. The worsening of cognitive function and motor performance is proportional to the increase in these levels.

Even though there is evidence that CBD impacts blood alcohol levels, research of ten participants showed that a dosage of 200 mg of CBD reduced the quantity of alcohol in their blood considerably. However, it’s unclear if smaller CBD doses would have the same effect.

Studies have produced mixed results to cut a long tale short, with some claiming that CBD does not affect blood alcohol levels.

Related: How Much CBD Oil Should I Take? | Complete CBD Dosage Guide!

Final Thoughts: CBD And Alcohol

There are no long-term medical studies that looked at the effects of CBD and alcohol when combined. As the research available on CBD and alcohol is mixed. So, it’s still unclear if the combination is fundamentally safe or risky.

Each person’s interaction will probably be unique. Adverse side effects such as drowsiness or low blood pressure may occur in certain cases. Others report that drinking alcohol has a good impact on them, such as decreasing nausea or headaches.

While CBD and alcohol are both able to calm the nerves, it’s important not to mix them at higher doses as this can cause unpredictable effects. If you’re going for a more calming effect while still drinking your favorite tipple, then stick with lower dosages of each substance- reducing side effects like lightheadedness or fainting along the way!

The interaction between CBD and alcohol can vary drastically depending on what you’re taking them for, so it’s crucial to find out more about any potential interactions before trying! It’s best to stick to a lower dose of each if you’re going to combine CBD and alcohol anyway.