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Should You Mix CBD and Alcohol? Is It Safe?

Dale blog imageAuthor: Dale Hewett
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The recent hike in CBD popularity across the globe is set to increase daily, and people are already talking about its significant impacts on the health and wellness industry. As we see a surge in proponents of CBD (Cannabidiol) combining CBD with almost everything they use, the range of CBD products on the market is vast and never-ending. The discussion around CBD and alcohol is another popular area of discussion. Many companies are marketing CBD-infused drink mixes with alcohols such as beer, and several bars are offering CBD cocktails – it begs to ask the question: Are these types of products a good thing? Is taking CBD when drunk okay?

TL;DR – While you will probably be ok if you mix alcohol and CBD, you should refrain from doing this too often. One study showed significant decrease in motor performance when people took CBD and alcohol, together. Alcohol is horrible for the human body, and excess consumption should be avoided.

Alcoholic Beverages With CBD

It must be noted that some companies promote CBD for hangover cures. Many CBD companies offer a wide range of CBD in different forms, such as CBD edibles, vapes, CBD oils, CBD capsule-based products, and topicals. Alcohol manufacturing companies are also taking part in this trend by producing alcohol mixed with CBD.

While you will probably be ok if you mix alcohol and CBD, you should refrain from doing this too often. One study showed a significant decrease in motor performance when people took CBD and alcohol together. Alcohol is terrible for the human body, and excess consumption should be avoided. 

The better question is whether you should be mixing CBD and alcohol? Today we will talk about the consequences of mixing them and any safety concerns you should be aware of. Let’s take a look!

What Happens When You Take CBD and Alcohol?

To understand the relationship between CBD and alcohol, we need to understand how CBD reacts within the body and its effects. Once we have a deeper understanding, we can offer insight into the unique mechanisms. The system that helps utilize CBD after we consume it is called the endocannabinoid system, which we’ll get into now. This system is responsible for why CBD offers certain benefits to people.

The Endocannabinoid System

CBD has already shown its’ worth through different studies in the health and wellness industry. That medicinal value is based on small-scale research projects and needs to be studied on a larger scale. 

There is a need to learn more about CBD’s impacts on the human body and how it interacts with the endocannabinoid system that we all have.

Endocannabinoid System Receptors

Our Endocannabinoid System (ECS) has receptors everywhere in our body, and it regulates homeostasis within the human body accordingly.

CBD’s primary focus is regulating CB1 and CB2 receptors. This results in several different outcomes like:

  • Pain relief
  • Anti-inflammatory effects
  • Relaxation
  • Acute and chronic pain relief

However, it is essential to note that not everybody responds to CBD in the same way.

For example, the CB2 receptor has almost seven genetic mutations that respond to CBD differently from one another. For this reason, you can’t expect an identical response from every bodily system when it comes to the mixture of CBD and alcohol.

Related article: How Does Topical CBD Work?

The Impact of Alcohol and CBD

CBD is not a thoroughly researched subject – yet. Many ongoing studies are underway and could lead to further insight that can help. There is still a significant need to conduct extensive research to understand the impacts of CBD fully.

That being said, the main takeaway from using both CBD and alcohol is that they may enhance each other’s symptoms of relief. Alcohol is a Central Nervous System depressant, and multiple studies have shown that CBD can be used as a sedative, which is also a depressant.

Peer Reviewed Study on Drinking Alcohol With CBD

We actually found a study we can reference that incorporated CBD with alcohol – together. While the study was small, it analyzed the effects after giving the patients 200mg of CBD with 1g of alcohol for every 2.2 pounds of total body weight.

New Phase Blends Cbd Edibles

The Results?

Combining alcohol with CBD directly resulted in significant impairments in motor performance and changes in how the participants perceived time. In the blind study, no one else experienced this when they took CBD by itself. 

Now, 200mg is a LOT of CBD to take at once. The other takeaway is that only about 72 people were studied, which is not a huge sample size. That being said, the data is pretty staggering. We recommend avoiding CBD and alcohol taken together.

Can CBD Help Prevent Hangovers?

Some people claim that you can use CBD as some sort of an anti-hangover medication, and this is largely untrue, but let’s take a look and see how you might be able to use it to aid you in the morning after a long night out.

It is essential to mention one more time that CBD is not an effective anti-hangover medication to treat high blood alcohol levels.

CBD for Hangover Relief?

CBD oil is a natural compound that is gaining popularity among health and wellness experts. This product’s easily accessible from health food stores, pharmacies, CBD-specific storefronts, and online CBD stores. 

CBD oil is impacting lives for the better, and the CBD movement has only just begun. Every bodily system is different and might respond to alcohol and Cannabidiol in a different way.

That being said, CBD’s effectiveness in alleviating immediate alcohol intoxication is almost nil.

Related: How Long Does CBD Stay in Your System?

Yes, CBD can offer a number of benefits like pain relief, anti-inflammation, and relaxation, but it cannot reverse poisoning to your body due to excessive alcohol intake. CBD oil is a non-psychoactive compound that’s rich with both neuroprotective and antioxidant properties that can help aid in relief from some minor hangover symptoms.

Still, it is not a miraculous miracle compound that will cure your hangover. Taking CBD oil for hangover relief might offer very little improvement, at best. 

CBD May Prevent Cell Damage and Diseases

Excessive alcohol use can cause many health issues, including cell damage in different organs, organ failure, and severe dehydration. Excessive alcohol consumption even causes chronic problems such as liver diseases, respiratory disorders, pancreatitis, and various cancer types.

Multiple studies on animals have shown that CBD oil can prevent cell damage. Now, can it prevent cell damage caused by high blood alcohol levels? Probably not.

CBD oil encourages the production of new cells and the regeneration of body tissues. While this may be a great benefit to have, you won’t notice any superhuman improvements in regeneration (like Wolverine) when you are experiencing a hangover. Sorry!

Cbd Tincture Diagram

CBD May Reduce Blood Alcohol Levels

First things first: Taking CBD will not sober you up. The impacts of CBD on blood alcohol levels have been observed based on limited research. Blood contains a specific amount of alcohol that is also called the Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC).

The increase in the BAC causes a more significant loss of motor and psychomotor performances and a decline in cognitive function. This is called getting drunk. However, one study used ten people who found that when participants took 200mg of CBD with alcohol, they had significantly lower blood alcohol levels than when they consumed alcohol with a placebo.

This study is very old (from the 1970s), and you should be cautious. On the other hand, there are studies based on animal subjects fed with CBD and alcohol together, and the data showed results indicating no changes in Blood Alcohol Concentration.

It is highly unlikely CBD will lower your blood alcohol levels to a point where you begin to sober up quickly.

CBD Has a Role In Alcohol Addiction Relief

CBD itself is a safe, natural drug, and some researchers endorse that CBD may help deal with an addiction to alcohol. Some studies based on animals have shown positive effects for reducing addiction and alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

While drinking alcohol every now and then is not an indication of dependence or a sure sign of addiction, alcohol dependence is a very real disease that many Americans deal with on a daily basis. It can be hard to treat for some; however, a few studies have shown that CBD oil can curb addictive behavior, too.

Vegan Cbd Capsules

Recently, animal studies based on alcohol-addicted rats showed that CBD reduces alcohol intake and decreases the urge to consume it. This study could show promise for recovering alcoholics and the use of CBD to treat the disease.

One thing is true: if you suspect that you have an alcohol dependency, it is imperative to speak to a professional or someone that can provide medical advice. 

Related article: Is CBD Addictive?

A small study based on chain smokers showed how the use of a CBD inhaler for one week decreases cigarette use by 40%. There is a strong need to conduct extensive research to explore CBD’s potential benefits in fighting against alcohol use disorder. 

Adverse Health Effects Caused by Alcohol

There is some merit in using CBD in treating alcohol addiction and helping those that suffer from the ill effects of booze and drinking. Some of the most common issues caused by regular binge drinking include:

  • Fatty Liver- Binge alcohol-induced steatosis, also known as fatty liver disease is one of the worst health conditions caused by excessive alcohol consumption
  • Alcohol-induced hypothermia is a genuine concern for some
  • Cases of binge alcohol-induced neurodegeneration
  • A worsening in arthritis symptoms, dehydration, and inflammation can cause a flare in symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and other joint problems such as sciatica that cause pain and discomfort.
  • Significant impairments of cognitive and psychomotor performances

By understanding the mechanisms that cause hangovers can help you target the underlying issues a begin treating your hangover. While CBD will not eradicate it completely or cure you, it might offer relief in the least expected ways and help mitigate long-term damage.

How Can CBD Help?

CBD oils can help alleviate some of the discomforts of alcohol abuse. Research suggests that CBD and the endocannabinoid system can help regulate and help control the situation and ensure that any damage to the liver begins to release endocannabinoids.

Cbd Brain Diagram

CBD can help regulate the CB1 and CB2 receptors to ensure that they stay in balance. 

When alcohol flares symptoms of arthritis CBD topical creams can help ease the associated pain. There is a low chance that CBD cream and alcohol interact negatively when used together. Try keeping a little jar of topical CBD around for times where you might need it after a long night out on the town. 

Can I Mix CBD Oil and Alcohol?

Research is still lacking here to show the effects of mixing CBD and Alcohol.

To date, most of the studies showed CBD’s very minor effectiveness of diminishing alcohol’s adverse effects. There’s really not enough data from studies to reach any real conclusion that CBD oil can do this because the research was done mostly on rats and not humans.

Cbd Gummies For Sleep

The one bit of research that is somewhat promising shows that using CBD and alcohol together results in severe motor performance decreases and a loss in the perception of time. For this reason, you should avoid taking the two together, and alcohol is just a horrible substance to consume anyway.

Another side effect of mixing alcohol and CBD is lowered blood pressure. Too much of either could make you feel dizzy, disorientated, or in severe cases, feeling faint.  Mixing CBD and alcohol is not something we would suggest.

Ok, but what happens when you mix them?

Using CBD with alcohol, when taken together, may result in a loss of perception of time, and loss of motor skills. Taking CBD oil and alcohol in high doses may increase the longevity of drowsiness, too.

Related: CBD Ointment

Results based on limited research conducted on both humans and animals have shown that CBD can be only a very minor protectant against the damage caused by alcohol consumption.

Where CBD really shines is its ability to curb alcohol addiction behaviors. It seems to be great for people suffering from addictions by reducing their cravings for certain substances…

There are several health benefits of CBD:

  • Managing alcohol withdrawal 
  • Controls liver damage 
  • Reduces binge drinking 
  • Reduces the damaging effects of alcohol
  • Controls alcohol abuse

There are many benefits, and it can’t prevent hangovers. Pure CBD can offer plenty of positive effects that can mitigate some of the adverse effects that happen when you mix drinks and end up having a hard night.

Can You Take CBD When Drunk?

Sure, you could take CBD while drunk. I’m not sure that it would benefit you much, though. If anything, the combination of alcohol, which is a downer, and CBD, which could be classified as a downer, would make you extremely sleepy. These are simply two substances that do not need to be mixed- at all.

Alcoholic Beverages with CBD 

Drinking beverages with CBD might not be worth the hype. Many CBD companies promote their alcoholic beverages as fantastic drinks that offer health benefits and the feelings of boozy buzz. It is not always a clear-cut answer, and it is essential to understand that will some of these drinks advertise that the drinks will inhibit oxidative stress.

Discover: Using CBD for Stress

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Some of the beverages do not contain high-grade or PURE CBD. The CBD is not always guaranteed; therefore, it is important to always purchase any CBD products from a reputable company that offers clear-cut information about the CBD content and whether it is a broad or full-spectrum CBD product.

Always think before you reach for that CBD-infused beer. Instead, keep your money for a CBD product that will offer you great results for days where you are not indulging in alcohol. 

Alcohol and Anxiety: CBD Can Actually Help In This Area

There are many positives to choosing CBD over alcohol. However, if you drink alcohol just to take the edge off and reduce your feelings of anxiety when out and about, it might be better to skip the drink and chew on a gummy infused with CBD.

The sweet release of CBD-infused goodness will start working within 30 minutes, and before you know it, that anxious feeling will begin to subside. 

New Phase Blends Products

There is a growing concern for people who use alcohol to treat feelings of frustration, or the throat pounding anxiety could be left with long-term issues in the days after drinking. Alcohol consumption can lead to feeling dehydrated and out of sorts, and CBD can offer some relief. 

If you suffer from social anxiety disorders, it is crucial that you do not overindulge as it can have lasting effects beyond the scope of your evening.

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About the Author - CBD Expert Dale Hewett

Dale Hewett Author
Dale Hewett

Dale Hewett is the owner and founder of New Phase Blends. He discovered his passion for CBD use after suffering from injuries sustained while on Active Duty in the US Army. His number one priority is introducing the same CBD products that he himself uses for relief to others who can benefit from them.

Dale holds a Master Degree of Science, and is the inventor of the popular, CBD-based sleep aid known as ‘Sleep.’ He’s given multiple lectures on CBD to institutions such as Cornell’s MBA student program, and Wharton’s School of Business.

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