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What happens If you mix CBD oil and alcohol? Before we talk on this topic, let us get you some info on CBD. Cannabidiol is now a popular ingredient in the health and wellness industry. You can find CBD products not only at supplement stores but pharmacies as well. Other than that, stores are selling CBD products worldwide as an alternative to pain killers.
You can find a wide range of CBD products such as CBD creams, CBD topicals, CBD oils, CBD edibles, CBD tinctures, protein bars, CBD lip balms, etc.
Due to its rising popularity, alcohol manufacturers from all around the world have jumped into the bandwagon. They have even introduced CBD-infused drinks, beers, vodka, and other alcoholic beverages.
However, many people still question the combination of CBD and Alcohol. Is CBD oil and alcohol the same to consume together? Are there any side effects? If yes, then what?
Keep moving forward to see the pros, cons, and side effects of consuming CBD oil and alcohol together:
What is CBD?
Cannabidiol, or commonly known as CBD, is a compound that we can find in the cannabis plant. Unlike the THC compound present in the same plant, it does not have the psychoactive properties. Simply put, this compound is not associated with getting you intoxicated.
We create CBD oil by mixing the CBD extract from the cannabis plant to an essential carrier oil such as coconut, hemp seed, or Palmolive.
Not a long ago, CBD has gained much popularity in the world of medicine. That’s why it is available in many forms, including sprays, oils, creams, edibles, tinctures, etc.
Scientific research backed by adequate evidence shows that CBD shows potential benefits, including chronic pain management and alleviating depression and anxiety. It also suppresses symptoms of some of the deadliest diseases, including cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
CBD oil and alcohol amplify each other’s effect on the body
Alcohol is excellent when it comes to promoting a good mood while relaxing your body. Moreover, it is well-known to reduce body inhibitions as well.
The research has shown that CBD has similar effects on your body as well. Not only can it clam you but reduce anxiety as well.
One study included 72 people who had to take 25 to 75 mg of CBD daily for a month. After the experiment, people were more relaxed, calm, and worry-free.
Taking CBD and Alcohol concurrently could increase sedation and sleep in a person. Moreover, the combination can have adverse effects as well, such as changes in mood and behavior.
In short, this combination intensifies the effects of CBD.
One study included participants that took 200 mg of CBD along with 1 gram of alcohol daily. Later they observe that this combination caused prominent impairments in the participants’ cognitive and motor functions.
However, the participants did not experience any side effects when they took the CBD alone.
Nonetheless, this study is old, and a lot of people consider this to be a good duo for chronic pain management and to decrease anxiety.
CBD might protect from the adverse effects of alcohol.
They didn’t do too much research regarding the duo of CBD oil and alcohol. However, some of the conducted studies show that CBD might be able to protect the human body from the adverse effects of alcohol.
Here are some of how CBD can impact alcohol effects:
It protects the body from cell damage and disease.
Excessive alcohol intake can cause severe damage to the nerve cells. This could lead to the increased risks of chronic diseases, including liver disorder, pancreatitis, cancer, and long-term inflammation.
Several studies have shown that CBD can reverse the effects of alcohol. It can stop the cell damage done by heavy alcohol consumption.
For example, in one study, scientists applied CBD gel to the intoxicated rats under the experiment. The CBD gel over their skin stopped the brain-cell damage by 49%.
Another study suggested that CBD helped protect the mice from alcohol-induced fatty liver disease right after injecting into the body. CBD accelerates the process of autophagy. It is responsible for tissue regeneration and the turnover of new blood cells.
However, one study showed the complete opposite of the above research. It showed that the CBD injection caused liver toxicity in the mice. They argued that some of the rats were given CBD in large amounts, which lead to these circumstances.
It is still unclear how this duo will affect the human body. The researchers have not been able to find out anything about the brain cell damage this duo will cause.
It might reduce blood alcohol levels.
They use BAC or blood alcohol concentration to measure the amount of alcohol present in your blood. They associate a high level of alcohol in the blood with significant loss of cognitive and motor functions.
But there’s some research on this topic which could help us understand why:
In one study, they gave ten people 200 mg of CBD daily alongside alcohol. The observation was that they had lower blood alcohol levels as compared to those who took only alcohol.
But you have to keep in mind that they did this study a very long ago, and the researchers gave the participants a hefty dose of CBD. The treatment was nearly five times more than the standard recommendation. That’s why it was highly unclear how CBD would decrease the BAC levels.
It might reduce alcohol addiction.
Some researchers claim that CBD could help with alcohol addiction. This motion was put forward because of the research that showed reduced alcohol addiction in the tested animals.
One study is even associated with alcohol-addicted rats. As soon as they inject the CBD, the rats showed signs of reduced alcohol intake, decreased motivation to get drunk, and prevented relapse.
However, research regarding this matter on humans is still limited. One study found that 24 smokers reduced smoking by 40% because they used a CBD inhaler for one straight week. These incredible results somehow explain the above experiment on rats.
But this information was not enough. Scientists need more evidence to determine that CBD could help reduce alcohol addiction.
Should you consume CBD and Alcohol together?
That’s an unsolved answer because there’s not enough research to determine the effects of taking Alcohol and CBD together.
However, several studies suggest that high doses of CBD might reduce alcohol effects in humans and animals.
There’s limited research on the adverse effects of consuming alcohol and CBD together. From what we know, the results of CBD vary for every individual. So, it is rather challenging to determine if CBD oil and alcohol will affect all people in the same way.
Some researchers suggest taking high doses of CBD alongside Alcohol to amplify the effects rather than taking CBD separately in standard/recommended doses.
Moreover, we still do not know the adverse effects of occasional or moderate consumption of CBD oil and Alcohol. So, it is recommended not to take CBD and Alcohol together, especially if you know how it will affect you adversely.
If you have still decided to consume the duo, make sure to visit your practitioner first. Other than that, take small amounts of CBD with Alcohol to minimize the adverse effects as much as possible.
Closing thoughts
From the research and studies so far, we were able to conclude that consuming Alcohol and CBD oil together amplifies each other’s effects. This might increase sleepiness and sedation.
On the other hand, many animal and human-based studies how that CBD protects against various alcohol-induced brain-cell damages. Moreover, it reduces alcohol addiction and even blood alcohol concentration.
But one study was very much opposed to the above studies. It showed that the consumption of CBD increased liver toxicity in a rat. But later, it was assumed that they give to the rat high doses of CBD.
Unfortunately, most of the research studies focus on the animals and the CBD experiments associated with them. There are very few studies that discuss the effects of moderate of the duo on the humans.
Until more research comes forward, the answer is still unclear.
Is CBD legal to consume?
For a long time, CBD was illegal to consume, and you cant use it in any of the drugs. However, not a long ago, hemp-derived CBD products were made legal by the federal government to contain only 0.3% THC.
But some of the CBD products are still illegal under the US state laws. On the other hand, marijuana-based CBD products have been declared illegal by the federal government but have been made legal by the US state laws.
If you want to consume any type of CBD, you must check your US state laws first. However, you must get professional advice from your practitioner as the CBD products are not FDA-approved and might be inaccurately labeled by the sellers. Before getting your hands on CBD, it is important to research as much as you can.
DISCLAIMER
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetics requires this disclaimer. We collected this information from different sources for the benefit of our consumers. The Food and Drug Administration did not evaluate the statements made regarding these products. The effectiveness of these products is not confirmed by FDA-approved research. These products are not meant to cure, diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease. The information presented here is not intended as a substitute for knowledge from health-care practitioners. It is also not meant as an alternative to expertise from health-care practitioners. You should always consult with your doctor and ask about the risk of interactions or complications before using any products.