CBD is a versatile supplement that is often added to foods or drinks. It can even be mixed into a specially designed beer, an alcoholic cocktail or a mocktail. But is it safe to combine alcohol and CBD?
Cannabidiol is non-intoxicating and has an excellent safety profile while alcohol is known to behave as both stimulant and depressant. Both alcohol and CBD have what is known as a biphasic effect, whereby small amounts can have the opposite effect to a larger amount. It is likely that they can be safely consumed together, but whether you choose to, should depend on how they affect you personally.
Both alcohol and CBD affect your body by interacting with chemical receptors and messengers in your nervous system. It’s not yet known if they have an impact on each other at a chemical level in your body, but some people have noted minor effects.
Because these substances work by creating small chemical changes, how they affect you depends on the existing chemical makeup of your cells.
As a result, what you experience when taking CBD or alcohol will be different from someone else. This is likely to be the same when they interact.
However, there are some common suggestions of what you may experience:
You may notice amplification of the effects of one or both substances. The depressant effect of the alcohol may seem more intense than usual. The grounding sensations and general benefits from the CBD may also become enhanced.
On the other hand, you could notice that the effects of one of them may be muted or more subtle. Some studies suggest that CBD may affect the amount of alcohol in your blood. Others have suggested that alcohol could reduce the beneficial effects of the CBD.
Likely, the more CBD and alcohol in your blood, the more pronounced any interaction will be and this will depend on what products you’re using. With alcohol it’s relatively straight forward; drinks with a higher alcohol content will be more potent. However, with CBD it’s more complicated.
Depending on how you take CBD, a large proportion of what you take will be broken down before it reaches your blood. The amount that reaches your bloodstream depends on how you choose to take it. Inhaling it with a vaporiser or holding it under your tongue are the most popular ways to increase the rate of absorption and consequently will increase its potency.
Before mixing CBD and alcohol it’s vital to consider how potent the CBD is likely to be. For example, vaping CBD and drinking alcohol are likely to be more potent and able to produce more of an interaction than drinking a CBD infused beer.
The only study that looked in detail at the interaction between CBD and alcohol was back in 1979. It found that large amounts of both produced high levels of intoxication. Unfortunately, they didn’t compare this to the effect of the alcohol alone so it’s hard to tell what the effects of the interaction were.
There isn’t enough current research to determine exactly what the risks are when these two substances interact, but no severe side effects have been noted. The main issue with mixing CBD and alcohol is the unpredictability of the results. If you rarely use either substance and then try them together it may produce results that you’re not prepared for. However, if you’ve used both regularly beforehand and are aware of how they affect you individually, then the experience is likely to be more predictable and manageable.
While there are no strong indications that mixing CBD and alcohol will cause any harm, you must make your own decision before trying it. Start by getting used to each of the products you intend to mix. Once you’re familiar with their effects, you could choose to take a small amount together and see how you feel.
To get a better understanding of the effects of mixing alcohol and CBD we spoke to some of our customers who regularly use CBD. We asked them if they ever drink alcohol while taking CBD and if they’d noticed any effects:
Jessica: “I regularly vape CBD following a couple of glasses of wine. I use an e-liquid brand that I’ve been using for over a year and I’ve never experienced anything more than the usual effect of the CBD and slight light-headedness from the wine. Although I don’t feel any negative effects from mixing the two, my choice is to never take CBD with more than two glasses. Also, I’ve only ever used them together when at home with my husband.”
Phil: “I’ve never tried any CBD infused alcoholic drinks, but I often put it in oil form under my tongue even if I’ve had a drink. I’ve never noticed any difference compared to drinking normally. But part of drinking responsibly is being aware of how you’re feeling and not going out of your comfort or safety zone. “
While there is much more to discover about the interaction between CBD and alcohol, our current understanding indicates that with the appropriate degree of care it’s unlikely to produce any surprising effects in the short term.
If you’re planning on mixing them, start by getting to know each of the products you’re planning to use and take them regularly.
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Tom Russell
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Tom Russell writes extensively about CBD oil and other groundbreaking food supplements. He and his wife share their home with two daughters and a lifetime’s collection of books.