Crossfaded: Do Marijuana and Alcohol Mix?

Although both alcohol and marijuana have been researched for their individual effects on the body, there is much less research available on what kind of effect they have when combined.

The experience of consuming both alcohol and marijuana simultaneously can be great or terrible depending on the person. It’s generally recommended that users consume less than normal when partaking in this activity as too much of either substance often has negative consequences.

How Alcohol and Marijuana Get You High

Marijuana’s high occurs when the psychoactive delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) binds to cannabinoid receptors on nerve cells in the brain, triggering a response. THC is made up of chemical compounds that are very similar to those found in our brains’ neurotransmitters, anandamide. Anandamide activates pleasure, memory, thinking, attention, coordination, movement, sense perception, and time comprehension by sending chemical messages between neurons. When you smoke weed, THC enters your bloodstream and goes to your brain. Anandamide is similar to THC in that it influences some of the same cognitive functions by attaching to cannabinoid receptors.

Alcohol, on the other hand, affects various neurotransmitters to stimulate the reward system that makes you feel good and strengthens behaviors.

• Dopamine: Makes you feel pleasure;
• Serotonin: Makes you feel happy and calm;
• Gamma-aminobutyric acid: Also known as GABA, lowers inhibitions;
• N-methyl-d-aspartate: Also known as NMDA, excitatory neurotransmitter.

Although the chemical consequences are similar for everyone, both alcohol and marijuana have different effects on individuals. Don’t assume that because your buddy is able to get faded that you will be able to do the same.

The levels of THC and alcohol in your blood will increase or decrease depending on which you do first. You will probably feel more or less intoxicated, depending on which you do first.

Alcohol First, Then Weed

Before you light up or eat an edible, drinking creates a more intense, longer high. The alcohol in your body dilates blood vessels, allowing for greater THC absorption into your system. Depending on how much alcohol you’ve consumed, that enhanced level of THC might remain in your circulation for a long time. That’s because before the alcohol is processed by your liver, it goes through the process of breaking down THC.

If you’re looking to get a more intense high from smoking weed, beware that you might end up feeling sick instead. Greening out is marked by symptoms like sweating, dizziness, and nausea (not to mention anxiety, paranoia, and vertigo), so it’s not something you want to experience if you can help it.

It’s crucial to be cautious when you mix edibles with alcohol. It can take an hour or longer for the food to digest and allow THC into your bloodstream. Some people may think it’s not working and then take more, which leads to taking in too much THC at once and feeling sick as a result.

Weed First, Then Alcohol

If you want to avoid getting too drunk, don’t smoke or eat before drinking. This will make it harder to get tipsy and much more likely that you’ll drink too muchalcohol. Keep track of how many drinks you’ve had by writing it down or sending yourself a text each time you start a new drink. And if for some reason loses count, assume that you drank more than what actually happened.

Cross Fading Risks

Mixing alcohol and marijuana is not advisable. Those who enjoy being faded should be aware of the following:

• Greening out: Getting too high can lead to nausea, vomiting, sweating, and dizziness.
• Dehydration: Alcohol and weed are both diuretics, meaning they cause your body to expel fluids faster. Make sure to drink plenty of water.
• Hunger: Alcohol and marijuana both make you feel hungrier. If you also have a supply of edibles around, it’s more tempting to consume them, which would only heighten crossfading risks.
• Impaired Driving: Especially if you’ve smoked weed first, you may not feel the effects of the alcohol in your system as quickly. Regardless, both marijuana and alcohol will delay reaction times and cause poor judgment.
• Risky Behavior: Poor judgment impacts more than driving. Getting crunk can cause people to become very uninhibited, leading to a situation where they could say or do things that they wouldn’t otherwise.
• Alcohol Poisoning: More just than getting sloppy drunk, drinking enough to get alcohol poisoning can kill you. Since marijuana can delay the effects of booze, it’s easier to drink enough to send you to the emergency room.
• Lower Cognitive Function: Perception, memory, learning, attention, decision making, and language abilities all decrease when your crossfade. Over time, it may affect brain structure.
• Dependence: People who repeatedly use weed and alcohol together are more likely to develop a dependence on one or both.

What happens in your body when you are crossfading?

People frequently combine alcohol and cannabis, usually without expecting any ill effects. It’s because the individual thinks that two of their favorite highs would go well together. It can be a poor decision, to be sure.

The effect of smoking a joint once you are already drunk can induce some interesting effects – dizziness, fainting, vomiting and greening out are often reported when they are ingested in this order. However, drinking after smoking a joint induces very different effects – ones that experimenters have found pleasing.

One of the few researchers to study this issue is Dr. John Sender, a professor at Harvard Medical School. What he discovered was that people who smoked marijuana and drank alcohol had THC blood plasma levels that were twice as high as those who only smoked marijuana. As a result, it appears that drinking alcohol boosts the amount of THC absorbed by the blood.

Is it dangerous?

Although we haven’t done enough research yet to make a definitive judgement, combining these two substances does appear to result in increased danger. When the body absorbs twice the amount of THC into the blood, this raises the risk of overdose (although it’s still next-to-impossible to fatally overdose on THC alone). However, even with just increased sensitivity to THC, people will naturally be affected more strongly.

Gary Wenk, a professor at Ohio State University says that THC and alcohol are not even comparable. “It’s like comparing apples and vegetables,” he says. THC works cognitively, affecting concepts of time and space, whereas alcohol affects the central nervous system, impacting mobility and coordination. Therefore, the dangerous mixture of these two chemicals can be disastrous.

So why crossfade?

Although crossfading can have some negative effects, many people choose to do it because if done correctly, the outcome can be amazing. It is a fine line between getting the dosage right and taking too much however, as taking too much could lead to an unpleasant night in the bathroom.

A general rule of thumb is to smoke weed first, then drink alcohol if you want to avoid “greening out.” The old saying goes: “Weed then beer, you’re in the clear. Beer then grass, you’re on your ass!” From my perspective and experience, this seems to be true. If you start your night drinking beer and move on to smoking later, it can end badly; but doing it the other way around is usually a safe bet.

Taking alcohol while under the influence of drugs can cause amplified effects and may result in negative consequences. Therefore, be mindful of how much you consume to avoid any potential hazards.

And under no circumstances should you try to drive while intoxicated. You will be in an impaired state and may make decisions that you’ll come to regret later.