Can you take CBD oil and alcohol at the same time?
- Funcaps
- blogs about cannabinoids
- 17 Nov 2024
- 3views
- Reading time: 4 minutes
CBD oil is increasingly found in stores, and many people buy the product because of the health benefits CBD provides. Having an alcoholic drink, many people don't say “no” to that either, of course. Especially in the summers, people often drink a summer cocktail on the terrace. However, can you take CBD oil and alcohol at the same time or will that bring about unpleasant side effects? In this article, we will answer this question.
What is CBD?
CBD is a substance from the cannabis plant and stands for cannabidiol. This little substance is often used in oils or edibles because of the positive health effects it produces. CBD oil is often confused with cannabis oil, but CBD oil contains no or a small percentage of THC. THC is more prevalent in marijuana oil and thus causes a high here after ingestion. CBD does not have this high. The effect of CBD oil, for example, is that it makes you sleep better or makes you feel calmer. CBD is also used to combat pain or anxiety.
Can you take CBD oil and alcohol at the same time?
The combination of CBD oil and alcohol requires caution. CBD can affect the action of liver enzymes. As a result, CBD oil can affect the metabolism of alcohol in your liver. It inhibits the production of the liver enzymes needed to break down alcohol. As a result, the effects of alcohol may last longer.
Alcohol can also interact with CBD and nullify or enhance the effects of CBD. This is because CBD acts on the endocannabinoid system, while alcohol affects the central nervous system. Alcohol combined with CBD thus leads to an even deeper state of relaxation.
What happens, when alcohol and CBD oil are combined?
When alcohol and CBD oil are used in combination, CBD interacts with alcohol. CBD thus inhibits certain enzymes in the liver, but the substance also affects neurotransmitters in the brain that alcohol also has its effect on. CBD and alcohol, when used at the same time, create a combined effect in neurotransmitters. This leads to a more complicated reaction, than when CBD is taken separately from alcohol. Again, the exact effect depends on factors such as your own tolerance, the doses of each drug, your gender and the like. Therefore, if you do want to try this combination of CBD and alcohol, it is important to be aware that there is an interaction between the two substances and therefore caution is important.
Effects of CBD on alcohol absorption
CBD thus affects liver enzymes. The substance causes the activity of these enzymes in the liver to be inhibited. This results in alcohol taking longer to break down and be absorbed into the bloodstream. Liver enzymes, including cytochrome P450, are in fact important in the breakdown of alcohol. If they are inhibited, then the effects of alcohol may last longer. The exact interaction is still being researched, as studies on this phenomenon are not yet exclusive. CBD could also help with the effects of a hangover after alcohol intake, but promising research is also underway in this area, but no conclusive results have yet emerged.
Tips for CBD oil and alcohol
Care must be taken when combining CBD with alcohol. Here are some tips to help you combine alcohol and CBD safely:
- Consult a professional with health problems or other medications about whether combining alcohol with CBD is advisable.
- Stick to the recommended dosages. Avoid excessive use of both alcohol and CBD.
- Be aware of your individual tolerance to CBD or alcohol.
- Try the combination of CBD oil and alcohol first with low doses and monitor how you feel then.
- After ingestion, avoid activities that require coordination and focus. Think of driving a car.
Can you take other CBD products and alcohol at the same time?
Many CBD products appear in the form of edibles: food products that incorporate CBD. For example, you have brownies with CBD or lollipops. The risk of these products is that it is difficult to dose. In short, there is a high chance that you will overdose. Moreover, CBD works more slowly when it has to pass through your digestive tract. In short, it takes a while before you feel the effects of CBD after eating an edible. As a result, the effects of alcohol are not only intensified, but you may experience feelings such as:
- Increased nervousness
- Impairment of cognitive functions
- Weakness of muscles
- Nausea
- Vomiting