CBD, or cannabidiol, is a chemical found in the cannabis or marijuana plant.
It can be used in several products, including oils, bath bombs, capsules, lotions, and even different foods. While people have used the cannabis plant to relieve pain for many years, CBD has boomed in popularity in more recent years. Many people have turned to CBD oils and products as a miracle cure for everything from anxiety to chronic pain. While some people swear by it, there is a growing concern about taking CBD and drinking alcohol, but how much truth do these warnings hold? At Banyan Pompano, we are giving you the facts about mixing CBD and alcohol.
What Happens When You Mix CBD with Alcohol?
With many drugs, drinking alcohol can be problematic. This is because the chemicals in the drugs are meant to do one thing, but when they interact with the chemicals in alcohol, the effects can change or increase. Because CBD has only recently grown in popularity, there is still a lot of research that needs to be done in this area. According to the current information available, when you mix CBD and alcohol, several things can happen.Some people believe that the interaction between CBD and alcohol can lead to exasperated alcohol effects such as impairment movement, mental confusion, and poor motor skills. This idea would mean that drinking alcohol after taking CBD could leave you feeling more drunk, showing greater signs of intoxication, but this may not be true. Research suggests that both subjects who had alcohol mixed with CBD and those who only had alcohol alone demonstrated poor motor performance, overestimations of time, and felt intoxicated compared to a placebo group. There were few differences in these effects between the two alcohol groups. Interestingly, the CBD group actually had a lower blood alcohol level.1 While it was initially believed that CBD could heighten the level of alcohol intoxication, CBD doesn’t seem to have much of an effect.
Other research studies show that CBD might even aid in alcohol abuse treatment in the future. While this is a new area with limited research, one study found that CBD in rodents helped reduce alcohol-seeking, self-administration of alcohol, and withdrawal-induced convulsions.2 If these similar effects could be extended to humans, CBD could be a viable aid in addiction recovery in the future.
If CBD could help with alcoholism, it may also be useful for dual diagnosis treatment. Several people who abuse alcohol also struggle with a mental health problem and use alcohol to cope with these issues. CBD has been found to decrease anxiety and help with psychosis.3
Regardless of what the research currently says, this area of study still needs to be explored. It is best to avoid mixing alcohol and CBD until more research can be done on the subject. If you or a loved one is struggling with your alcohol intake with or without the presence of CBD, you should get help. Our rehab in Pompano has programming to work with people to overcome alcoholism.
Do not let drugs or alcohol dictate your life. If you or someone you know has a substance abuse problem, reach out to us today at 888-280-4763.
Sources:
- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - The 2018 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress
- NIH - Alcohol Facts and Statistics
- NCBI - Behavioral Health Services for People Who Are Homeless – A Review of the Literature
Alyssa
Alyssa who is the National Director of Digital Marketing, joined the Banyan team in 2016, bringing her five-plus years of experience. She has produced a multitude of integrated campaigns and events in the behavioral health and addictions field. Through strategic marketing campaign concepts, Alyssa has established Banyan as an industry leader and a national household name.
