Last Updated on September 28, 2020 by Maxwell Harris
Cannabidiol, CBD for short, is a chemical compound found in the Cannabis Sativa plant, also knows as hemp. The hemp plant contains two primary chemical components -Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and CBD, which is the less reactive part of the plant.
Although the effects of ingesting this chemical compound are not fully researched, it is known to alter how people live their lives. These CBD effects can either be positive or negative, depending on how you choose to use the plant product.
How Safe is Cannabidiol?
Inasmuch as taking CBD does not give you a sense of “high” that other drugs have successfully done, the FDA (Food and Drug Association) does not offer explicit regulatory information on the same. This is because there is currently no conclusive research on how safe it is to consume CBD and its product. However, they advise on the recommended doses of CBD and the level of CBD infused substances.
Every chemical has its own side effects and CBD is no exception. However, most of the known side effects of CBD are generally tolerable to an extent. Some of the effects of excessive consumption of CBD include dry mouth, diarrhea and excessive fatigue.
Nonetheless, the FDA is encouraging more clinical research on the science of CBD since some companies use the myths associated with CBD to manipulate the uninformed public into buying their CBD products. There have been some instances of some pharmaceuticals claiming that their CBD products could cure cancer.
Mixing alcohol and CBD
The level of concern of many people has always been to know if CBD & alcohol could be ingested simultaneously. Some of the questions that get floated around in regard to mixing CBD with alcohol are:
Can you mix alcohol with CBD?
Recently, the demand for CBD has risen high in the alcohol industry. Alcohol manufacturers are now mixing CBD with almost anything. Some alcohol companies are selling CBD based beer and some bars serving CBD cocktails.
Mixing CBD and alcohol can have significant effects on your body. The effects of mixing the two could last longer and be stronger. CBD alone makes you lighthearted and chill. Adding alcohol will make these feelings more intense. In some cases, people become heavily sedated. For this reason, it is highly recommended not to mix alcohol and CBD.
Can CBD cure a hangover?
If you are an alcohol lover, you must have experienced this. A hangover a general numbness and frequent headaches resulting from too much consumption of alcohol. Even though hangovers can fade away on their own, they can last up to 24 hours. When the levels of alcohol are high in the bloodstream, they trigger a brain region responsible for controlling nausea. This region is known as the vomiting center.
CBD causes muscle contractions to expel stomach contents. Therefore, this prevents the absorption of toxic alcoholic substances. According to research, consuming CBD triggers the serotonin receptors, which lower the serotonin release. This is thought to prevent the feeling of nausea and vomiting caused by drinking alcohol.
Scientifically, there is no evidence proving if CBD can cure a hangover from alcohol drinking. According to some research, CBD can help treat hangover symptoms by adding it to your morning coffee when you feel hangovered after a long night of drinking alcohol. Nonetheless, the much CBD you can take is entirely up to you. Starting with a small dose and gradually increasing is recommended.
Consuming CBD after a meal will help the body absorb it better than taking CBD on an empty stomach. Drinking a glass of water for every glass of alcohol you take will help deal with the hangover. This means that while consuming CBD or alcohol, you need to hydrate a lot.
Is there Alcohol in CBD oil?
CBD oil is made through an extraction procedure that involves extracting oil from seeds, stalks and flowers of the hemp plant. CBD oil is considered to be expensive and of high value in the market. CBD can be processed into CBD tinctures. Tinctures refer to medication stored in alcohol form.
These CBD tinctures are extracted from the hemp plant, processed in liquid form and combined with a mixture of alcohol or peppermint oil. CBD tinctures have a higher lifespan compared to CBD oil due to the presence of alcohol in them. For this reason, they are used as a preservative to enhance the life of CBD.
How long should I wait to eat or drink after consuming CBD oil?
Its highly recommended that CBD oil never to be taken on an empty stomach. Always use CBD oil with food in your system. Consuming CBD oil with food in your system increases the chances of it being absorbed by the liver without losing its efficiency.
According to research, it is advised to take CBD oil between 4 to 6 hours after taking a meal. The food that you eat before taking CBD oil has a great impact on how it will absorb into your body. Eating foods that contain fatty acids serve as excellent binding agents for CBD.
Other foods rich in fats such as fish, eggs, avocados and meat increase bioavailability after consuming CBD oil. The best method for consuming CBD oil is by placing it under the tongue. This method is known as sublingual dosing. When you take your dose sublingually, retain the CBD oil for 60 to 90 seconds before you swallow. It can also be ingested by swallowing directly or adding to food or beverage.
Effects of mixing CBD and alcohol
Mixing alcohol with CBD will hype you when drinking. Furthermore, mixing CBD with alcohol will increase your sense of “high”. Below are several ways in which mixing CBD and alcohol can impact your health.
- Prevention of cell damage and disease: It’s a known fact that alcohol consumption causes cell damage increasing the risk of chronic diseases. According to research, applying CBD gel to rats’ skin reduced the brain cell damage caused by high alcohol levels in the system. In another study, injecting rats with CBD protects against liver diseases caused by alcohol. It’s not clear whether CBD has the same effects in humans together with alcohol.
- Reduces blood alcohol levels: Blood alcohol concentration is the measure of the quantity of alcohol in your blood. Several studies have suggested that taking alcohol and CBD results to very low blood alcohol levels compared to taking alcohol without CBD. However, more research has to be done on how CBD affects blood alcohol levels.
- May be used as therapy for alcohol addiction: According to some studies, CBD can be used to treat alcohol addiction. Some animal research has indicated that CBD can reduce several alcohol addiction symptoms and help lower blood alcohol levels. One study carried out the effects of CBD in alcohol-addicted rats. The study indicated that CBD reduced the motivation to consume alcohol.
Bottom line
CBD and alcohol may complement each other’s effects and consuming CBD and alcohol in high doses may lead to hangover and sedation due to increased levels of blood alcohol. Many animal and human studies show that consuming CBD protects against alcohol -induced diseases and lowers blood alcohol levels.
Alcohol manufacturers have majored in producing CBD infused beers, shots and beverages. CBD is now available in different forms such as sprays, tinctures, food products and capsules. However, there is need for more research on the extent of the consuming CBD to the human body and wellness.