It is time to feast, enjoy and be indulgent, but think twice before you combine cannabis and booze

The holidays are a time of big feasts, going large and having fun. Holiday family meals occasionally have members who “need to get something in the car I forgot”, the age old code for a little weed time. But be careful mixing marijuana with alcohol.

Holiday parties, catching up with old friends, work events and just being festive or stressed – lots of reasons to have a drink or consume some marijuana. Occasionally mixing alcohol and weed, known as crossfading, happens. During the social holiday season, there seems to be more opportunities where the combination is offered at some point.

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Using cannabis and alcohol together enhances the effects of each, causing increased side effects including slowed reaction time, loss of coordination, and problem-solving and decision skills.

When it comes to drugs, there is caffiene, alcohol and cannabis (in order). It should come as no surprise that many people use them together, and it’s well-established that alcohol increases the absorption of THC.

Despite the potential dangers of mixing them, it’s common to do so. If you combine marijuana and alcohol occasionally and in moderation, there is less of a risk. But regularly doing so comes health issues and more. People who are canna-newbies also may have bigger reactions as they are unfamiliar with dosages.

Drinking before using weed can intensify weed’s effects. This is because alcohol increases the absorption of weed’s main psychoactive ingredient, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

This generally results in a stronger high. While this might be nice for some folks, it can cause others to green out. This refers to a range of unpleasant physical symptoms including sweating, dizziness and nausea.

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Using weed before drinking alcohol may minimize the effects of alcohol. This means you might be tipsier than you feel, increasing your risk for becoming overly intoxicated.

But be careful mixing marijuana with alcohol, the busy season may not be the time to experiment.