With the rising popularity of CBD oil in everyday use, people are inevitably going to worry about conflicts with other types of substances.
When a person is using something every day, like many people are doing with CBD, they should be aware of any potential issues that result from interactions with other substances.
One combination that many people might not consider is CBD and alcohol.
So, what happens when CBD and alcohol are combined?
What Is CBD & Why Would It Be a Problem with Alcohol?
Before searching for the best CBD oil and mixing it with alcohol, you should learn what CBD is.
CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of the main cannabinoids found within hemp plants; it can interact with our endocannabinoid system to create a variety of different effects.
When we imbibe CBD, it works its way through the body and then triggers different effects by reacting with the various CB receptors. However, before it can be broken down and utilized by the body, it first has to be broken down by the liver, which is where some people say that it could interact poorly with alcohol.
But is that true? Do CBD and alcohol interact in the body at all, and is there a problem mixing it together?
What Do CBD & Alcohol Do When Combined?
Everyone needs a good way to relax after a stressful day at work, and for many people, alcohol is the answer. As with anything, though, there is a potential risk that it could be negatively interacting with other things you are taking.
Trying to work out if alcohol and CBD interact badly with one another is surprisingly tricky. This is because CBD and alcohol do not really affect the same body parts, nor do they impart similar effects.
A study by Consroe et al. for the Journal of Psychopharmacology found that combining alcohol and CBD didn’t seem to do anything whatsoever to the participants. While the researchers found that combining alcohol and CBD resulted in a lower blood alcohol concentration than the group taking alcohol alone, there were basically no differences observed when it came to effects.
The conclusion the study suggests is that, because CBD doesn’t impact motor or mental performance in any tangible way, it cannot interact dangerously with alcohol.
Unfortunately, unlike combining CBD with other substances, there hasn’t been a lot of research into CBD and alcohol. This means that, while the Consroe et al. study is useful to understand, it doesn’t paint a definitive picture.
There needs to be a lot more research into the potential conflicts between CBD and alcohol before any kind of scientific consensus can be reached.
However, in the meantime, it is relatively safe to assume that there isn’t much risk of combining the two substances causing a negative effect.
Final Thoughts on What Happens if You Mix CBD and Alcohol
While there is still yet to be sufficient research into the specifics, CBD and alcohol are likely safe to combine.
Mixing together CBD and alcohol is common enough that, were it actually to cause significant damage or induce problems, we would likely have noticed it.
In fact, it is already something that many businesses have started capitalizing on with the creation of CBD cocktails. Whether it is CBD wine or CBD beer, people are already thoroughly enjoying the CBD beverage trend.
So, until further scientific research proves otherwise, it is probably fine.
About the Author
Kayla Burns’ unique passion for teaching about CBD and the cannabis industry all began when she studied Nutrition and Dietetics at Central Michigan University years ago. Over the last several years, Kayla has tried to divide her time between sharing her specialized knowledge of CBD through her articles on WayofLeaf and devoting her time to educating as many people as possible about all of the different potential therapeutic effects of cannabis.