CBD is an excellent ingredient in many recipes of both food and drink, so does it make sense that it can also be paired well with alcohol? Should we mix alcohol and CBD? We often hear that we should not "mix", that is, combine other substances with alcohol consumption, but does this advice also apply to CBD? Cannabidiol is known as an effective, non-toxic and non-addictive supplement, mainly used to increase our overall well-being. We find it in various forms such as gum, oil, sprays, cigarette liquids, tablets and others. There seems to be no end to its versatility, but won't associating it with alcohol be excessive? We believe that well-being begins with choosing a good lifestyle, which may include moderate consumption of alcohol, if not their total absence in our diet. We therefore consider it interesting to study this in an in-depth analysis. The World Health Organisation has stated that CBD is absolutely safe and shows no addictive potential. It is not a psychoactive substance indeed, on the contrary, users often report better awareness and a pleasant sense of relaxation. When we associate it with alcohol its effects remain the same, but the sense of relaxation could be felt with greater intensity. It is therefore totally safe, but it is good to have the same attitude of caution that you would have when drinking, using both alcohol and CBD in greater moderation. James Giordano, a neurologist and biochemist at the Georgetown University Medical Center, says that when we take CBD, we feel more relaxed and light, and that alcohol has the ability to amplify these sensations.
So, before taking them together, make sure you know well the effects that each of these usually has on you. The interaction between alcohol and CBD is proven possible up to a time span of four hours.
CBD oil and interactions with alcohol
A historical study published in the Psychopharmacology Journal shows that subjects who had taken CBD capsules together with alcohol had lower alcohol levels than those who had not taken them, even if the sensation perceived by the two groups was practically identical.
There have been additional studies that have not shown less alcohol intoxication, but have found other effects that could mitigate the negative impact of alcohol. For example, in a rodent study, the correlation between CDB and the reduced effects of brain damage caused by alcohol was seen. When rodents took CBD 30 minutes before alcohol, they demonstrated reduced oxidative damage to the liver.
While these findings do indeed seem to endorse some positive effects, there is still a relative and limited amount of data on this specific interaction. However, we hope, these data indicate that CBD could play an important role in the fight against alcoholism or at least that it could serve to mitigate its damage. But there is still a long way to go.
So can CBD help me drink less?
As a supplement, CBD could help reduce alcohol consumption, as studies show that some of the positive effects of CBD may interact with the mechanisms that create alcohol addiction.
In fact, research indicates that prolonged alcohol use can lead to the depletion of the natural endocannabinoids and related receptors contained in our body and make up the well-known ECS system. This system promotes general well-being by interacting with the homeostatic system that creates body balance.
When endocannabinoid levels become too low, the body struggles to fight problems such as stress and anxiety. The regular presence of a cannabinoid such as CBD could, therefore, have the ability to reduce alcohol intake.
