Before you wash down that eye dropper of CBD oil with a glass of wine, read this.
If you’re an adult, you already know that mixing substances is a mixed bag. Sometimes you get the results you want, and other times you’re laying in the fetal position wondering how much longer you have to endure your own self-inflicted struggle. The same goes for CBD and alcohol.
The combination of cannabis and alcohol is well documented. Some people enjoy the mellow effects, while others experience a dreadful crossfaded high, which is often harder to manage than a simple drunken episode.
When it comes to CBD and alcohol, there’s not much data out there, even if there are some manufacturers who are making packaged alcohol drinks infused with CBD. Out of the few studies that have been conducted, some experts theorize that alcohol and CBD could maximize each other’s effects, for better or worse.
While some might assume that people would become less inhibited and more relaxed, since those are some of the most common positive side effects of both CBD and alcohol, a 1979 study published in the journal Psychopharmacology found that the combination of CBD and alcohol can cause significant changes in mood and behavior. Researchers discovered that mixing these substances resulted in impairment in motor performance and caused participants to lose track of time. On the other hand, it also showed that those who consumed CBD capsules had lower levels of alcohol in their blood.
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(NOTE: It’s important to highlight that this information comes from a study that’s dated, since it used a much higher dosage of CBD than a study would use now.)
A more recent study, published in the journal Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology in 2019 concluded that “there are too few human studies to draw any inferences about CBD and alcohol interactions.”
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For now, there’s not enough information to get an accurate picture and no way of giving people an estimate of the results they’d get when combining alcohol and CBD.
It’s important to note that CBD could have an effect in helping people recover from alcohol addiction and in coping with some side effects of hangovers. Consistent use of the compound could protect people’s livers from alcohol damage, reduce symptoms of withdrawal and the odds of relapsing. When it comes to treating more basic symptoms of hangovers, CBD is capable of treating nausea and headaches.
