The popularity and craze for CBD products are at an all-time high. It’s available everywhere in a wide range of product types, including gummies, tinctures, vapes, capsules, creams, and more. In fact, you can now find a crazy combination of alcohol and CBD at new and upcoming bars and shops.
From CBD-infused beer to crazy cannabis cocktails, different brands have come up with weird and unique liquor and CBD products. This brings up the question of whether it’s really a good idea to mix CBD and alcohol.
At some point, you must’ve stood in front of your medicine cabinet and wondered what would happen if I mixed these strongest gummies with some whisky tonight. Such intrusive thoughts are hard to resist, but is it really safe to do so?
After all, CBD is something that we use to improve our well-being, whereas alcohol is more of a tool to have some fun. Today we will cover this topic and understand the potential benefits and harms of mixing both of these compounds.
How Does CBD Work in the Body?
To understand the effects of CBD and alcohol, we first need to take a look at what exactly happens in our bodies when we consume them. People generally take CBD orally in the form of tinctures and edibles.
When we eat a gummy, the CBD oil present in it gets metabolized via the digestive system before mixing in the bloodstream. This takes around an hour or two, and when we take it sublingually, it gets absorbed in the blood right away within 15-20 minutes.
After this, it starts to impact the workings of our body’s endocannabinoid system. This system consists of two endocannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, which are spread throughout our body.
The role of this complex cell signaling system is to maintain balance in our body by controlling various biological processes. The whole process works when our body releases two lipid neurotransmitters called 2AG and anandamide and their interaction with CB1 and CB2 receptors.
Anandamide is specifically responsible for regulating our pain levels, inflammation, and mood. CBD increases the amount of anandamide released, and as a result, we feel more calm, focused, relaxed, less anxious, and pain-free after consuming it.
Both 2Ag and anandamide are responsible for modulating our neurological activity and behavior mechanisms. They control our stress levels, anxiety, pain, mood, sleep cycles, appetite, and other crucial physiological processes. CBD increases their rate of release and absorption, and as a result, we feel holistically much better.
How Does Alcohol Work in the Body?
The way our body interacts with alcohol is quite fascinating. When we drink it, it gets absorbed through the lining of our stomach and small intestine. There’s no digestion required, so it gets quickly mixed into our bloodstream.
Once mixed in the blood, it reaches straight to certain neurotransmitters in our brain and slows down our whole central nervous system. It increases the effects of GABA receptors, which are responsible for making us calm and relaxed.
That’s why, within a few minutes of consuming alcohol, we start to feel more relaxed and less anxious. It also slows down the glutamate, and as a result, everything slows down. As our reaction time decreases, things become fuzzy, which leads to cognitive impairment and memory dysfunction.
Typically, speech becomes slurred, vision becomes blurred, and we lose all sense of coordination. That’s why so many people trip and fall after consuming too much alcohol at parties. It also decreases our heart rate and temperature. Initially, you’ll feel happy and energetic, but after some time, it might make you feel down and low.
The metabolisation of alcohol happens mainly in the liver. Here, enzymes break it down to a toxic form called acetaldehyde and then convert it into a more safe and easily manageable form called acetate.
It’s diuretic in nature, so you’ll notice that there’s a constant urge to pee again and again. Fun fact: alcohol hits women more quickly because they are generally lighter and smaller in size and have more fat and less water than their male counterparts.
It also stays in female bodies for much longer due to the lower numbers of enzymes. Drinking alcohol at small intervals also increases your appetite; that’s why people mostly consume fried snacks with it. This happens due to the increased flow of juices in the stomach after drinking.
What Happens CBD Mixes With Alcohol?
Well, it depends on how much concentration of both that you consume. As of now, there’s not enough data to concretely determine whether these compounds can interact and hinder each other’s work in our bodies.
CBD works on endocannabinoid receptors, and alcohol works on different neurotransmitters. But since both make you more relaxed and less anxious, there’s a risk of too much sedation when you consume them together.
There’s a risk that you’ll become too drowsy, which may lead to mishaps. Especially when you are involved in a deep coordination task like operating heavy machinery or driving. But simply from a scientific perspective, there’s no evidence of how these compounds interact with each other.
Only two small studies were done back in 1979, and in both results, there was no substantial change in the effects of consuming these products alone or together.
Conclusion
To sum it up, mixing alcohol and CBD can lead to more sedative and drowsy effects. Initially, you might feel a bit more excited, energetic, and less anxious. But when alcohol starts wearing off, things will become dizzy and nauseous.
There’s no direct harm or adverse reactions when we mix these compounds, but some people might become more dehydrated and stressed. Hence, it’s best to consume them at different times.
Plus, CBD can be taken daily and will help you reduce pain and anxiety. While alcohol may give you an occasional buzz or relief, daily consumption can negatively impact your liver, heart, and brain.
To improve your wellness journey, stick to CBD, and make sure to buy it only from reputed and well-tested brands like Colorado Botanicals.