What happens when you crossfade? You may have heard rumors about friends mixing alcohol and weed or tried it yourself. But is this dangerous double trouble or no big deal? This article will explore the science behind the buzz and reveal the truth about how alcohol and weed interact in your body and brain when used together. We’ll discuss how mixing alcohol and marijuana can lead to nasty crashes, risky behavior, and scary side effects you definitely want to avoid. You may be surprised to discover what actually goes on during this increasingly popular pastime of partying with both booze and bud. Once informed, you can make the smart choice for your health and safety when it comes to mixing weed and alcohol.
The Risks of Combining Alcohol and Marijuana
Alcohol and marijuana are two of the most popular substances among youth. Using alcohol, like wine and weed together is common, but many dangers can result. Understanding how these substances interact is critical.
Alcohol Side Effects
Alcohol acts as a central nervous system depressant, slowing brain activity and function.
Short-term effects include:
- Impaired coordination and balance
- Slurred speech
- Poor judgment
- Relaxed inhibitions
- Emotional swings
- Impaired memory
- Drowsiness
- Vomiting and nausea
Long-term effects:
- Liver disease
- Digestive problems
- Sexual dysfunction
- Several cancers
- Weakened immune system
- Addiction
- Brain damage
Weed Side Effects
Marijuana impacts the brain differently, containing THC that overwhelms cell receptors. While effects vary by strain concentration and personal body chemistry, common short-term effects include:
- Relaxed inhibitions
- Increased appetite
- Euphoria
- Paranoia
- Altered sense of time
- Impaired balance
- Impaired coordination
- Impaired memory
- Increased heart rate
Continued use poses various mental and physical health risks still being explored by science such as:
- Addiction
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Impacts on mental health
- Breathing problem
- Memory
- Motivation
Weed vs Alcohol Effects on the Body
|
Effect |
Alcohol | Marijuana |
| Impaired coordination | Imbalance, stumbling, slowed reaction time |
Poor hand-eye coordination, clumsiness |
|
Impaired judgment |
Lowered inhibitions, reckless behavior, poor decisions | Reckless behavior, poor decision making |
| Impact on emotions | Exaggerated mood swings, anger, sadness |
Relaxation, and euphoria at lower doses; panic, and paranoia at higher doses |
|
Impact on memory |
Short-term memory lapses, blackouts | Impaired ability to retain information, short-term memory issues |
| Addiction risk | High risk both psychologically and physiologically |
Psychological addiction risk |
|
Nausea/vomiting |
Rare | Common |
| Other | Liver disease, cancers with long-term abuse |
Anxiety and suicidal thoughts may emerge with chronic use |
Using Alcohol and Marijuana Together
Alcohol and marijuana both affect the brain but in different ways. When used together, THC (the psychoactive compound in marijuana) and alcohol interact to produce stronger effects.
How they interact:
- THC causes dopamine and other neurotransmitters to be released, producing a “high”
- Alcohol depresses the central nervous system, slowing brain activity
- Mixing weed and alcohol can amplify each other’s effects, increasing intoxication
Which Is Worse Alcohol or Weed?
When combined, users report heightened euphoric sensations. However, evidence shows alcohol and marijuana together significantly increase impairment levels and unpredictable side effects:
- Impaired coordination: Severely impaired balance, increased risk of falls and accidents
- Impaired judgment: Extremely poor impulse control and decision-making
- Impact on emotions: Unpredictable emotional reactions due to enhanced effect
- Impact on memory: Greater short-term memory issues, a higher risk of blackouts
- Addiction risk: Enhanced addiction risk, increased substance abuse tendencies
- Nausea/vomiting: More severe and prolonged nausea and vomiting
- Other: Magnified health consequences of both substances
The risks go up the more alcohol and marijuana are used. If you are interested is smoking weed better than drinking, you should know that consuming them together makes it harder for the body to metabolize and eliminate the substances. It also makes it more difficult to gauge your level of impairment. To stay safe, experts advise avoiding mixing the two substances altogether.
Greening Out: Getting Too High
When mixing alcohol and marijuana, especially in large amounts, you risk “greening out.” This means getting uncomfortably and dangerously high. Symptoms of greening out include:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Dizziness
- Anxiety and panic
- Paranoia
- Fast, irregular heartbeat
Greening out can be very unpleasant and scary. In rare cases, it leads to passing out or even overdosing.
Impaired Judgment and Increased Risk
Combining THC and alcohol impairs your judgment, coordination, and motor control more severely than using either substance alone. This makes all kinds of accidents and injuries more likely, especially:
- Car crashes if you try to drive
- Falls and other physical mishaps
- Unsafe sexual behaviors
You’re also at higher risk for alcohol poisoning since THC can delay vomiting reflexes that expel excess alcohol from the body. Using marijuana and alcohol together makes you more likely to drink to dangerous levels without feeling as impaired as you truly are.
Factors to Consider – Is Weed or Alcohol Worse
Many people wonder, “Is smoking weed better than drinking?” The risks of using alcohol versus marijuana can depend on several factors. Frequency of use and your personal tolerance level can greatly impact how harmful each substance may be. For example, someone who binge drinks every weekend is at higher risk of alcohol poisoning than someone who has a single drink once a month. Similarly, a person with no tolerance who eats a marijuana edible is more likely to have a bad reaction than a very heavy user smoking a joint.
Other factors like genetics, body size, medications, and whether you use other drugs can also determine how severely alcohol or marijuana will affect you. People process substances differently based on their unique biology and life situation. This makes it complicated to compare whether alcohol or weed is universally “worse” across all people. Assessing your personal risks means considering your individual frequency of use, tolerance levels, genetics, and lifestyle to best understand how these substances impact your health and well-being.
Alternatives and Harm Reduction Strategies
Mixing alcohol and marijuana is risky. Using them together can increase side effects. Rather than mixing these substances, there are some safer alternatives:
- Weed drinks — Beverages infused with THC or CBD can provide a mild marijuana high without the health risks of smoking. When combined with alcohol in moderation, they may cause less impairment than smoking marijuana with drinks.
- Focusing on one substance — Consuming only alcohol or only marijuana reduces the compounding effects these substances can have when combined.
No matter what, moderation and responsible use are key for anyone choosing to use legal mind-altering substances. Consider these harm-reduction tips:
- Use small amounts of one substance at a time
- Avoid driving or operating machinery
- Drink water and eat food to reduce the effects
- Plan safe transportation
If substance use becomes difficult to control or causes problems in your life, don’t hesitate to seek help.
Final Words
In this article, we discussed several key ways that alcohol and marijuana interact and affect each other in the body and mind. When used together, alcohol and marijuana can lead to amplified impairment, increased heart rate and blood pressure, heightened intoxication levels, impaired coordination and decision-making, and a higher risk of alcohol poisoning or overdose. The combination also makes nausea and vomiting more likely.
Understanding these synergistic effects is important even for those who use alcohol or marijuana moderately on their own – combining the two can quickly increase the risks. As you make decisions about using substances, consider the dangers of using alcohol and marijuana simultaneously since they compound each other’s effects. An informed, thoughtful decision will help you and your friends stay safer and healthier. The best approach is to avoid mixing alcohol and marijuana entirely. If you choose to use either one, moderate your intake if using that substance alone.