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Is It Safe to Mix Alcohol & Marijuana?

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People may use alcohol and marijuana together, but their combined effects can increase your risk of higher THC levels, greater impairment and alcohol poisoning.

It is common for people to mix alcohol and marijuana. In fact, marijuana is the most frequently used substance among drinkers. People may use a combination of these substances to get more of an effect for both or combat the side effects of one or the other, but it can be risky and unsafe.

Article at a Glance:

  • Using alcohol and marijuana in combination increases your risk of experiencing uncomfortable side effects due to increased absorption of THC.
  • Using a combination of alcohol and marijuana can lead to a greater degree of impairment than either on its own.
  • When you combine alcohol and marijuana, you’re more likely to experience “greening out,” which is a sick feeling following the use of marijuana.
  • Using marijuana and alcohol in combination can make alcohol poisoning more likely, which can be life-threatening.

The Effects of Mixing Alcohol & Marijuana

When someone uses alcohol and marijuana together, they might start to notice they feel the effects of one (or both) much more quickly and more pronounced than otherwise.

Marijuana and alcohol both impact the central nervous system. Marijuana impactsareas of the brainresponsible for memory, thinking, pleasure and perceiving time and senses.Alcohol is a depressantthat affects the entire central nervous system, heavily impactingmotor skills, judgment, cognition and memory.

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One of the main active ingredients in marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC and alcohol are both psychoactive. THC acts on cannabinoid receptors in the brain, whichcan lead tocognitive effects and impairments.

When people drink and smoke marijuana together, alcoholincreasesthe amount of THC that isabsorbedinto the body. While this means that people who use an alcohol and marijuana combination may report a “higher high,” the lows can also become amplified. For example, impaired judgment symptoms are more obvious.

What Are the Risks?

While people might use a combination of alcohol and marijuana to experience a more intense high, this can be dangerous. The effects of marijuana and alcohol on their own are unpredictable, and combining them makes this worse. You can absorb THC more quickly when there’s alcohol in your blood, which can increase the risk of experiencing uncomfortable side effects.

Combining the two substances also leads to agreater degree of impairmentthan taking either one on its own. This can increase your risk for accidents and injury. You may put yourself in risky or dangerous situations if you’re drinking or using marijuana, and an alcohol and marijuana combination makes this even more likely.

It’s also important to note that if you regularly use an alcohol and marijuana combination, you’re at a higher risk ofdeveloping a dependenceon one or both of the substances. Further, if you try to cut back on either alcohol or cannabis, your reliance on the other substance islikely to increase.

What Is Greening Out?

If you’re researching the safety of mixing marijuana and alcohol, you may come across the term “greening out.” It refers to a person feeling sick after smoking marijuana. This can happen with marijuana use on its own, but with an alcohol and marijuana combination, it’s more likely to happen due to thehigher THC levelswhen you drink.

How To Handle a Bad Reaction

If a person has been drinking and smoking weed, higher THC levels in their blood from drinking may increase the risk of a bad reaction. Because physical and mental impairment can bemore pronouncedwhen you combine cannabis and alcohol, it can be hard to know if someone’s symptoms are due to a marijuana green-out or excessive alcohol intake.

Because alcohol poisoning can be deadly, it is best to seek medical attention to make sure that your symptoms are not due to a dangerous blood alcohol level.

While awaiting medical attention, it is important to keep the person safe from harm. Thisincludespreventing injury and providing reassurance and emotional support.

Can You Overdose On Alcohol & Marijuana?

Another risk of an alcohol and marijuana combination is that you may take too much of either substance. Although using too much marijuana isn’t usually life-threatening, inhalation burns and asthma attacks from smoking cannabiscan be deadly.

Drinking too much alcohol can be lethal. If you’re using an alcohol and marijuana combination, you can be more likely to getalcohol poisoning, which can be fatal.

When To Get Help

It is important to seek emergency medical help if you suspect a person is experiencing alcohol poisoning. Because a person becomes more impaired when they mix alcohol and marijuana, it can be hard to tell if a person is reacting to too much drink or too much cannabis. The signs of alcohol poisoninginclude:

  • Confusion
  • Problems staying conscious
  • Vomiting
  • Seizures
  • Slow or irregular breathing
  • Slow heartbeat
  • Clammy skin
  • Dulled reflexes
  • Bluish or pale skin color

Alcohol poisoning can be fatal. If you suspect someone is experiencing alcohol poisoning, call911immediately. Do NOT be afraid to seek help.If you do not have access to a phone contactWeb Poison Control Servicesfor online assistance.

You shouldn’t mix marijuana and alcohol. If you think you’re abusing these or other substances, help is available.Contact usto speak with an intake coordinator who can answer your questions and help you understand what options may be available to you.

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Sources

American Association for Clinical Chemistry. “Any dose of alcohol combined with cannabis significantly increases levels of THC in blood.” May 27, 2015. Accessed October 2, 2021.

Chait, LD; Perry, JL. “Acute and residual effects of alcohol and marijuana, alone and in combination, on mood and performance.” Psychopharmacology (Berlin), July 1994. Accessed October 2, 2021.

Karoly, Hollis C.; Ross, J. Megan; Prince, Mark A.; et al. “Effects of cannabis use on alcohol consumption in a sample of treatment-engaged heavy drinkers in Colorado.” Addiction, September 2021. Accessed October 2, 2021.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. “Understanding the Dangers of Alcohol Overdose.” May 2021. Accessed October 2, 2021.

U.S. National Library of Medicine. “Marijuana Intoxication.” January 1, 2021. Accessed October 2, 2021.

Subbaraman, Meenakshi S.; Kerr, William C. “Simultaneous vs. concurrent use of alcohol and cannabis in the National Alcohol Survey.” Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, May 2015. Accessed October 2, 2021.

Sheikh, Nafiz K.; Dua, Anterpreet. “Cannabinoids.” StatPearls, July 25, 2021. Accessed October 2, 2021.

U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration. “Drugs of Abuse.” April 2020. Accessed October 2, 2021.

Brumback, Ty; Cao, Dingcai; King, Andrea. “Effects of Alcohol on Psychomotor Performance and Perceived Impairment in Heavy Binge Social Drinkers.” Drug and Alcohol Dependence, June 8, 2007. Accessed October 2, 2021.

Gunn, Rachel L.; Sokolovsky, Alexander; Stevens, Angela K.; et al. “Ordering in alcohol and cannabis co-use: Impact on daily consumption and consequences.” Drug and Alcohol Dependence, January 1, 2021. Accessed October 2, 2021.

Medical Disclaimer

The Recovery Village aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers.

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