Drinking alcohol and consuming cannabis, either individually or together, can have a DRASTICALLY different effect. When it comes to relating these two substances, cannabis and alcohol, it can be quite easy to understand just how INCREDIBLY inappropriate it is to try and make a reasonable relation.
It’s like comparing a healing vitamin to a destructive bomb. To say that these relate, in any “real” way, is to not understand basic truth about these two “substances.” Since we live in a creative society, we are beginning to “fuse” these two products together.
It will be quite valuable, for the safety and survival, of both you and others on the road, to know the truth before, overindulgence and poor decision making, occurs.
- Basic information
- When a driving fatality occurs and both cannabis and alcohol are in the system, which substance should get the blame?
- What are some precautions if you decide to indulge in consuming both?
- Are hemp infused alcohol more potent or make you feel more drunk?
- Is THC infused alcohol more potent or make you feel more drunk?
Basic Information
Cannabis saves countless amounts of lives and is responsible for zero deaths, due to consumption. Alcohol takes countless amount of lives and is responsible for 88,000 deaths, per year, as measured by the CDC (Center For Disease Control). [3]
Right now, as cannabis is being legalized for “recreational” purposes, the truth is that cannabis is neither a medicine or a fun “drug.” Cannabis is an essential nutrient required for proper health that allows you to have a balance between all your internal systems, known as the ECS (EndoCannabinoid System).
Whereas alcohol is not an essential nutrient and has no real function or purpose in our society, other than entertainment, recreation and subsequent destruction, due to excessive consumption. Alcohol is one of the most dangerous “drugs” we allow, and encourage society to consume beyond moderation.
When a driving fatality occurs, and both cannabis and alcohol are in the body, which substance should get the blame? When it comes to driving, while consuming either alcohol and/or cannabis, separately, there are two RADICALLY different pieces of information that result from the experience.
Alcohol is widely known to be responsible for over 25℅ of driving fatalities. [1] Whereas cannabis has a different story, with a few interesting variables. There are really only two ways to look at the, cannabis and driving, equation.
How to distinguish the difference of information, is critical in understanding the entire truth. One distinction involves an “experienced” cannabis consumer. While the other critical distinction involves a BRAND NEW TO CANNABIS consumer, first timer.
The veteran knows their limits and has a body well adjusted to processing this essential nutrients, of cannabis. Whereas the newbie, may have just turned 21, is able to “legally” consume cannabis the first time and once the effects kick in, experiences a MASSIVE shock, to their brand new experience resulting in detrimental outcomes.
If you’re a veteran cannabis consumer and you consume your “normal” amounts, and then, you jump in your car and drive, there’s a different experience. One that doesn’t involve a “shock” to the system that lowers abilities.
Studies, from a PURE “experimental” statistical analysis, of actual observation in real life, shows that you actually become a “better” and more safe driver, if you’re an experienced consumer. The observation of consuming and driving, for veteran consumers, show that we drive better?!
On the other side of the study, when ONLY our basic cognitive facilities are tested, while “under the influence” of cannabis, the “hypothesis” is that our ability to drive, with cannabis freshly in our body, may lead to unsafe driving. The “lab tests” theoretically hypothesize a decrease of safety. Yet, in real world situations, almost unanimously, the veteran cannabis consumer is a more safe of a driver.
In theory, cannabis should make our driving less safe. In real world practice, the theory doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. Responsible use and self awareness is the key here.
To quote the literature:
“The case controlled studies, on file, have certain inconsistencies that begin to suggest that low cannabis consumption does not increase the rate of accidents. In fact, it says it may actually decrease rates of accidents.” [2]
Will the “conservative” crowd buy into this belief? Probably not, in my opinion. Knowing this, it’s almost obvious which substance should get the blame for taking another life. What are some precautions if you decide to indulge in consuming both? Always err on the side of caution.
Getting behind the wheel, at any levels of intoxication, is not something I would recommend. If you DO decide to consume both cannabis and alcohol, there are a few things to keep in mind, to keep yourself from making a poor decision that could end up causing permanent change in your life.
According to Psychology Today [4], combining both cannabis and alcohol may cause you to overindulge in both substances. While, we know you can’t “overdose” on cannabis, you very well can OVERDOSE on alcohol.
When consuming cannabis, while drinking beer, it can make remembering, how much you’ve drank, rather challenging. Know your limits, stay within your boundaries, and figure out a way to count how many “drinks” you’ve taken. Always make sure you turn down a glass of water, every beer, or every other beer.
Are hemp infused alcohol more potent or make you feel more drunk? Short answer, no, hemp infused with alcohol will NOT make the alcohol more potent. If you’re consuming an alcoholic beverage that has been infused with, non-psychoactive hemp, you can essentially say you are just drinking alcohol.
Hemp has close to ZERO percent of THC and will not intensify any effects. Is THC infused alcohol more potent or make you feel more drunk? Short answer, drinking alcohol makes you higher. Recent studies suggest that upon consumption of any amounts of alcohol, the THC blood concentration increases significantly. [5]
While you may not feel more drunk, you will definitely feel more high. Thus, make sure to recall what we said in the paragraphs above. Consumption of both cannabis and alcohol usually leads to increasing consumption of both substances. If you’re staying indoors to consume both, you should be ok, as long as you don’t EXCESSIVELY over consume.
However, if you’re going out to experience the night life, moderation is the key. Always have a main plan and a backup plan if you end up “accidentally” consuming too much of either. Have a designated driver or Uber ready to take you home on a moments notice. Safe and responsible consumption is how we keep our entire community safe and free of a negative public perception.
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[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2722956/
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15370012