Author: Charles Frank
Liquid Marijuana: Benefits and Dangers of Weed Drinks
THC drinks, also known as “cannabis drinks,” “weed drinks,” and “weed beverages,” are a popular way to consume cannabis. THC drinks come in a variety of options including tea, elixirs, sparkling waters, juices, and sodas. Consumers prefer THC drinks because they are discrete and are easy to dose. Smoking weed after drinking alcohol may intensify the effects of weed.
If weed use does slow down the increase in blood alcohol levels, this may cause people to drink more than usual. In turn, this could increase risky behavior and the likelihood of alcohol poisoning. The authors of a 2017 review suggest that people who use alcohol and weed together typically consume more of both drugs. This higher intake may increase the risk of dependence on alcohol, weed, or both. Remember, consuming weed after drinking alcohol might make you feel less intoxicated, which can lead you to drink more than you usually would.
If you’ve mixed weed and alcohol and are having a bad reaction, it’s probably because alcohol seems to make the high from using weed stronger. This can happen any time you’ve consumed to much weed — with or without alcohol. Using weed before drinking alcohol may minimize the effects of alcohol.
Liquid Marijuana Drink Types
Marijuana drinkables are a healthy alternative to smoking and act much faster than edibles. However, as it is with any medicine, you need to have a conversation with your doctor to make sure they’re right for you. Thanks to new technology developing in the world of marijuana, we can now make sugary carbonated beverages with tinctures. If you’re looking for a quick hit that will perk you up, marijuana sodas and lemonades will leave you smiling. They’re super-refreshing and an easy way to get the benefits of your medicine. Experts say there is still a lot to learn about cannabis drinks and how they impact behavior and long-term health.
The high from ingesting cannabis can be quite different from smoking or vaping, however. Cannabis use has been shown to lead to dependence or a use disorder. But the likelihood of someone developing marijuana use disorder after drinking THC-infused drinks is still unclear. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional. Weed is appealing to many folks for more than just the high right now.
- While this might be nice for some folks, it can cause others to green out.
- But there are a lot of variables to consider, including which one you use first and how you consume them.
- Marijuana drinkables can provide you relief in a much more effective fashion than other ways of consuming cannabis.
- Experts say that since weed drinks may look like seltzers or juice, they should be stored out of reach of children.
The effects of drinking weed will come on slowly and may be long-lasting depending on the amount consumed as well as the dosage. Even if you don’t see yourself totally cutting out weed, it’s good to know the facts and potentially adjust your intake accordingly. And, while we know it’s not quite the same, there are plenty of other ways to de-stress that won’t also mess with your heart. Their combined use can cause blackouts, memory loss, and an increased likelihood of engaging in risky behaviors. While there’s some research around the effects of drinking alcohol before using weed, there isn’t much about the opposite approach. Rebel Coast, a California-based winemaker, makes cans of alcohol-free sparkling wine infused with 10 milligrams of THC.
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Read on to learn more about the potential reactions and what to do if you have a bad one.
Cannabis-infused beverages are often branded as a healthier alternative to alcohol — “No painful days after drinking or regrets,” a tagline on Cann’s site reads. These kinds of drinks carry a connotation of health, said Emily Moquin, a food and beverage analyst at Morning Consult. They tout themselves as “hangover-free” and without the high calories of alcohol; they claim to help you feel “focused,” balanced, relaxed. One cannabis beverage company even suggests pairing their drinks with a spa day. Our writers and reviewers are experienced professionals in medicine, addiction treatment, and healthcare.
However, there is plenty of research on the side effects of taking THC products in general. With a popular market comes new products, and the cannabis industry is moving to drinks. This is possible in part by advances in emulsion technology, which allows us to mix two liquids together that typically would not mix. Then you become “sober.” Drinkables, on the other hand, take 30 to 60 minutes to kick in, but the effects last for 4 to 8 hours and then slowly descend. It’s because of these long-lasting effects that people find drinkables particularly helpful in the treatment of conditions such as nausea and chronic pain.
Some strains of weed produce a sedative effect, while others mimic stimulant drugs. So, liquids containing cannabis can help improve mood and alertness. Additionally, when you drink marijuana, the THC produces more body-centered effects compared to smoking, and the impact is more evenly distributed all over your body. For this reason, drinking marijuana is a more effective method for treating muscle spasms, epilepsy and other similar conditions. The best part is the burned-out effect you sometimes get after smoking marijuana is less noticeable when you drink marijuana.
What Really Happens When You Mix Alcohol and Weed?
The move to use cannabis in place of alcohol is a wide-reaching wellness trend, as you probably know from all the hype that surrounded Dry January. Celebrities like John Mayer have reportedly made a permanent switch from alcohol to cannabis too. With recreational marijuana becoming legal in several states, cannabis-infused mocktails, seltzers and alcohol-free wines are hitting the market, often sold as a shortcut to a healthier high. These drinks are not the beverages that contain small doses of CBD, a compound found in marijuana and hemp that doesn’t get you high, which have been trendy for the last decade. Marijuana drinks are made with THC, the intoxicating substance in cannabis, and customers seem willing to try them.
Older, more established cannabis companies, such as VCC Brands, a high profile cannabis company out of California, are expanding their reach with their beverages. They are further developing and expanding the reach of their seltzer, CQ. Even some big name beers companies, such as Pabst and Lagunitas, are popping into the THC-infused seltzer space. IF YOU’RE LOOKING for a way to up the fun with none of the alcohol after Dry January, cannabis drinks may be your answer.
Here’s What You Need To Know About Cannabis Drinks
Since cannabis is still an illegal drug on the federal level, controlled clinical trials on the health effects of THC are extremely limited. A “standard dose” of cannabis has yet to be established, said Kelly Johnson-Arbor, MD, a medical toxicologist and co-medical director at the National Capital Poison Center. In all, we just need more isolated studies for this stuff to be able to say with any authority or assurance—and those are hard to make happen in reality. That’s because marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug, meaning that there’s a ton of red tape in place in terms of clinically studying it. “When it comes to research, it’s actually very difficult to study, because you have to have special licenses from the DEA, but it definitely merits a lot of investigation,” Dr. Chandy says.
Research indicates that people who mix alcohol and cannabis are more likely than those who only drink alcohol to engage in sensation seeking behavior. Not everyone reacts in the same way to weed, alcohol, or a combination of both, and many factors play a role in how a person will respond. However, it is helpful to understand the possible outcomes of mixing these drugs. Remember, consuming weed and alcohol together can make you feel either more or less intoxicated than you would if you were using just one or the other. The researchers reported that combining THC and alcohol consistently impaired driving performance, with worse performance during nighttime simulations.