CBD And Alcohol – Ultimate Guide On Everything You Need To Know

When CBD and alcohol are used in the same sentence, it is usually about whether you can mix those two or use CBD to treat alcohol addiction.

The popularity of CBD increases more and more on a daily basis. Many people reach for natural remedies when coping with some health issue, and more and more of them are turning to CBD. Known for its multiple benefits, CBD comes to the very top of the alternative medication list.

So, if you’re taking CBD as help in the treatment of some health conditions, you may wonder if treating yourself with a few glasses of wine or beer along with CBD is a good idea.

Nonetheless, some claims state that CBD is helpful in alcohol rehabilitation, so if you struggle with excessive alcohol use, you may consider starting to consume it.

If something from above is the case, or you are just curious, continue to read this article as we are going to provide you with everything you need to know about CBD and alcohol.

What happens when you mix CBD and alcohol?

If you regularly consume CBD but like to drink a few glasses of alcohol on social occasions or at lunch, you must be aware of the effects of such an action.

Alcohol is a depressant that affects the central nervous system. It works as a tranquilizer, as it has sedative-like effects. As short-term effects, alcohol slows down the brain functions, causing trouble concentrating, loss of coordination, and lower inhibitions. On the other hand, it can also work as a stimulus, lower your inhibitions, and improve your social skills.

However, consuming too much alcohol can seriously impair your physical and cognitive function and lead to neurodegeneration over time. Besides that, it may cause fatty liver disease (called steatosis), trouble learning, loss of attention span, high blood pressure, and heart problems.

In distinction to alcohol, CBD is a non-psychoactive compound of cannabis, and it doesn’t negatively affect your brain functions. CBD actually has a positive impact on your brain as it affects serotonin release and pain centers. This means that CBD can increase serotonin levels and affect your mood, as well as reduce pain and inflammation in the body. That is also connected to its calming properties, which are credited for relieving the symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression, bringing peace to your mind and body.

So, compared to alcohol, CBD does have similar sedative-like effects. Still, CBD is much safer as its side effects may include only a sense of tiredness, changes in weight or appetite, and sometimes diarrhea.

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When taken together, CBD and alcohol do interact. Since they have similar relaxing, calming, sedative-like effects, they might intensify the effects of each other. In general, the effects of alcohol will be more intense if you consume it within 4-8 hours of using CBD. You will feel very calm, chilled, and easygoing, but also more tired and sleepy. Besides, your blood pressure may drop down, and you may feel a bit dizzy or lightheaded.

Generally, the overall experience of consuming both CBD and alcohol in a short period can be more intense and long-lasting, resulting in a greater loss of inhibition, greater loss of motor coordination and loss of control.

Having said that, someone may conclude that mixing CBD and alcohol might not be safe, as you may feel very sleepy and be less careful, being more susceptible to injuries due to cognitive and physical impairment. However, not enough research has been conducted to firmly and objectively state that taking CBD and alcohol is really risky and that it can cause any damage to your body.

On the other hand, there is some evidence that CBD can have some beneficial effects when it comes to alcohol consumption and its side effects.

CBD and alcohol’s side effects

Whether you take CBD and alcohol simultaneously or soon one after another, CBD will interact with alcohol in your organism, producing certain effects. Although more research needs to be done on that, there is evidence that CBD can protect your body from alcohol’s adverse effects, sanitizing the harm that’s already done. So, let’s see how CBD helps with health issues related to alcohol.

CBD helps with hangovers

The first noticeable side effect of consuming too much alcohol is a well-known hangover that occurs the day after when blood alcohol levels in one’s system drop significantly. Almost everyone experiences it at least once in life. After the night out with your friends and several drinks, fun and joy cease down in the morning. You have black holes in memory, nausea in your stomach, and your head wanting to explode.

Besides that, you may experience other hangover symptoms, including fatigue or weakness, excessive thirst and dry mouth, muscle pain, vomiting, poor quality of sleep, sensitivity to lights and sounds, extreme dizziness, shakiness, rapid heartbeat, and trouble concentrating.

Additionally, many people may be in a bad mood and experience hangover anxiety (or so-called “hangxiety “) due to blurry memory and worries about your behavior the night before. Those negative feelings further amplify the sense of nausea. Medically speaking, heavy alcohol consumption causes a deficiency of serotonin, which usually causes the symptoms of hangover anxiety.

Fortunately, CBD, with all of its beneficial properties, can effectively treat some of these symptoms.

CBD interacts with your body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is responsible for several essential functions, such as pain perception, mood, appetite, and memory. Therefore, CBD has a role in reducing pain such as headaches and muscle aches. Also, it causes antiemetic effects, suppressing nausea and vomiting.

See also: Does CBD oil expire?

Due to its relaxing effects, CBD can help you calm down and get rest, maintaining a normal heartbeat. Likewise, CBD showed its efficiency in treating anxiety symptoms, so hangover anxiety can’t be an exception. CBD boosts serotonin levels by activating your brainstem receptors which are responsible for managing the serotonin flow throughout the brain.

Besides, CBD has neuroprotective and antioxidant properties that contribute to overall well-being.

CBD can reduce the level of blood alcohol concentration

According to some studies, although it can’t reduce the effects of alcohol, CBD may reduce the level of alcohol concentration in the blood. Blood alcohol concentration refers to the percentage of alcohol in the bloodstream. Higher blood alcohol concentration is correlated to changes in cognitive functions, motor control loss, and a higher level of intoxication. Therefore, a decrease in alcohol concentration level can reduce the damage to the brain cells and organs.

CBD can protect your liver

Excessive consumption of alcohol can significantly impair one’s physical condition. It can damage the liver by destroying its regenerative cells, which may lead to liver failure or cancer, and other medical diseases.

According to recent studies, CBD shows promise for the treatment of liver diseases related to alcohol usage. It is claimed that CBD can reduce oxidative stress, liver inflammation and help treat symptoms of fatty liver disease by increasing autophagy, a process that includes cleaning out and regenerating of damaged cells and liver tissue.

CBD can help with alcohol withdrawal

Excessive and prolonged use of alcohol may lead to serious alcohol problems and addiction. Those who choose to put an end to them and completely quit drinking face great challenges during their recovery from alcohol.

When a person suddenly stops drinking after a long period of alcohol consumption, the alcohol withdrawal syndrome may occur.

Initial signs of alcohol withdrawal are tremors, nausea and vomiting, irritability, increased blood pressure and insomnia. The sufferer might also experience withdrawal seizures and alcohol hallucinations. In more severe cases, delirium-tremens may occur. The symptoms of delirium tremens include dangerous changes in breathing, blood circulation, temperature control, and other unpleasant effects.

Again, more research needs to be done but based on the conducted research and existing evidence so far, CBD may be able to help manage the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and curb cravings by targeting the center in the brain associated with addiction. In addition, CBD can decrease interest in alcohol and lessen the risk of relapse while improving internal balance.

According to some studies, CBD has shown to be efficient in reducing blood pressure. You can read more about it here: Does CBD lower blood pressure?.

Also, it helped the patients who struggled with insomnia by increasing total sleep time and decreasing the number of awakenings.

As the recovering alcoholics are in terrible condition, trying to remain sober and face reality, common side-effects of alcohol withdrawal can be anxiety and depression as well. The research confirmed that CBD helps with that too. Some recovering alcoholics claimed that CBD played a crucial role in their recovery, managing the effects of depression associated with it and providing them with a more peaceful mind and better mental well-being.

The effects of alcohol withdrawal can be fatal, even life-threatening, if not handled properly. Therefore, it’s crucial for people suffering from alcohol addiction to seek medical help before suddenly ceasing alcohol use, even when taking CBD to help with symptoms. Although CBD can be very helpful, it should not be the only treatment for alcohol addiction.

Final words on CBD and alcohol combination

Now let’s sum up everything. The first thing to be emphasized is that there is not enough research on this subject, so it’s best and most safe not to mix CBD and alcohol – neither at the same time nor one after another, within a short period of time.

However, if you like to enjoy the cocktails, for example, and relax, you can buy non-alcoholic ones and simply put a few drops of CBD tincture in them.

But, if you still intend on mixing CBD and alcohol, at least take small doses of CBD and only a couple of drinks (preferably with a low percentage of alcohol), so you can still maintain the control. For safer consumption, ensure that enough time has passed between consuming CBD and drinking alcohol.

We only recommend taking CBD when treating some alcohol-related conditions as CBD has relevant properties that can contribute to their treatment. So, when having bad hangovers or when struggling with alcohol withdrawal, consider CBD treatment.

When choosing the right CBD product for you, get well informed to ensure you pick the most efficient one.

Ensure that your CBD product is made from natural, organic and sustainable ingredients. Then, the highest quality CBD is sourced from high-quality and organic hemp, grown in Europe or the United States, particularly Colorado, so take that into the count as well.

Further, choose the full-spectrum CBD product as it includes all the cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids that naturally occur in hemp. Also, the higher the CBD potency, the more effective the product is.

Also, you can see on the label if the product is third-party lab tested, as that will confirm the overall quality and credibility of what the CBD brand claims.

Choose CannazALL

At CannazALL, we make sure that you get the highest quality and the safest CBD. Therefore, all of our CBD products contain full-spectrum CBD oil (essential hemp oil) sourced from Colorado-grown organic hemp. CBD oil is extracted from non-GMO, pesticide-free, and herbicide-free hemp plants and manufactured without chemical solvents. This makes our products very effective in dealing with any type of stress, anxiety, pain and inflammation. Besides, they can relieve symptoms of seasonal allergies, depression, arthritis, sleep disorder, etc.

If you would like to try some of our CBD products, take a look at our CBD shop and enjoy the finest Colorado-grown and formulated CBD.

Take some time to learn more about our top-quality collection of CBD products and better understand how CBD can best serve you.

Since 2014 CannazALL™ has strived to create the healthiest, potent, and effective CBD products on the market, and our customers reorder again and again because of the results they are getting.

When you become a CannazALL™ customer, we’ll not only deliver a superior product; we’ll also educate you on how to get the best CBD experience possible and follow up with complete Customer Support