Cannabis and Alcohol: The Sciency Side and Safety Tips
Teaming up weed and liquor is quite common, and it’s known as crossfading. Opting for light alcohol choices, such as beer or white wine, is the less harmful way to “crossfade,” and you may thank yourself in the morning.
Both cannabis and alcohol are widely praised for their relaxing, mood-softening effects. They share certain social and sensory similarities, but legality is not one of them. While alcohol is legal nationwide across the U.S., cannabis remains caught in a complicated tug-of-war between state-level legalization and ongoing federal prohibition. When alcohol and cannabis are consumed together—a practice commonly known as “crossfading”—both the physiological impact and the legal exposure can shift significantly.
Cannabis vs. Alcohol
A lot of people love alcohol and/or cannabis. These are the two most popular substances in the U.S. The ingredient of every party. Except, one is entirely legal, and the other is trying to reclaim its (full) legality. Both can be misused. And both may may harm your health with excessive use.
- Health Impact of Alcohol: Alcohol may impact heart health and the autonomic nervous system. It also appears to affect more organs, including the liver and the intestines. Misuse of alcohol has been linked to various types of cancer, including breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, colon, and rectum cancer.
- Health Impact of Cannabis: While cannabis has many therapeutic benefits, here we mention some of the negative effects it produces. Smoking cannabis can harm the lungs. Like alcohol, cannabis can impair the motor system. Prolonged use of both alcohol and/or cannabis can affect short-term memory.
- Wait Before You Turn 21: The use of both cannabis and alcohol is NOT advised to adolescents. As research also suggests, excessive use of cannabis may result in altered brain development among teenagers.
The Social and Legal Reality of the “Crossfade”
Consuming both substances does not only carry health risks, but simultaneously carries specific social and legal weights.
- The “Gateway” Myth vs. Reality: While cannabis is often labeled a gateway drug, statistics show alcohol is responsible for approximately 88,000 deaths every year—close to 2.5 million years of potential life lost.
- Social Consumption Lounges: As legal consumption lounges open in states like California and Nevada, the “social” aspect of mixing is under scrutiny. So far, most state regulators prohibit the sale of alcohol in the same venue where cannabis is consumed to prevent extreme impairment.
- DUI and Motor Impairment: Both cannabis and alcohol impair the motor system. Legally, being “crossfaded” can lead to more severe “Driving Under the Influence” charges, as the substances often potentiate each other’s impairing effects, making the user far more intoxicated than they would be using either alone.
While people can’t really consume a lethal dose of marijuana, the main argument of many cannabis opponents is that it can be a getaway drug to other substances.
The Science of the Liver: Metabolism and Competition
When you mix weed and alcohol, your liver becomes a biological bottleneck. Both substances rely on similar metabolic pathways, specifically the Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzyme system.
- Alcohol First, Then Weed: When you drink alcohol first, it acts as a vasodilator. This opens up your blood vessels and enables your body to process and absorb THC significantly faster. Even a small dose of alcohol can “augment the presence of THC” in your blood, leading to a much more intense and often overwhelming high.
- The Biological Competition: The liver prioritizes the clearance of alcohol (ethanol) because it is a toxin the body wants to remove immediately. This can delay the metabolism of cannabinoids. If you consume edibles while drinking, the THC remains in your system longer as the liver is “busy” with the alcohol, leading to unpredictable, delayed, and much stronger effects—sometimes resulting in a “green out.”
- Blood Level Surges: Clinical studies have shown that any dose of alcohol increases the peak THC concentration in the blood. This explains why users feel “more high” when they have a drink in their system.
Safety and Harm Reduction
If you are going to mix the two, follow these expert-backed tips to minimize risk:
- Stick to the Basics: Definitely don’t do edibles when drinking. They are tricky to dose and can turn too strong once they finally activate in the stomach. Stick to a simple joint where the effects are felt immediately.
- Hydration is Mandatory: Don’t forget to drink water. You might not feel thirsty, but hydration can prevent the “nasty sensation” of fainting, sweating, or vomiting associated with overdoing it.
- Opt for Light Alcohol: Choose beer or light wine over heavy spirits like vodka or gin. High-alcohol drinks combined with pot are frequent culprits for “terrible headaches” the next morning.
Conclusion
Objectively speaking, any psychoactive substance can produce unwanted health effects when misused. Used responsibly and in moderation, the risks for most adults remain relatively low. Whatever you do, always remember that while going wild from time to time is fine, moderate and mindful use is always for the best!
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Stephen Andrews
