CBD and Alcohol: Does Alcohol Affect CBD? Effects of Mixing CBD and Alcohol.

CBD cocktails are now a fairly regular part of the inventory in many high-end bars across the world. This partly answers the question of whether CBD oil and alcohol can mix. Mixing CBD and alcohol doesn’t result in a violent chemical reaction, and the drinks are still safe to drink. We shall be discussing how CBD and alcohol interact later. Bartenders typically put 5 to 15 mg of CBD in every cocktail.

Other than CBD infused cocktails, brewers have started to package beers that have been infused with CBD. This has been a somewhat cautious undertaking because, unlike cocktails, there is much more exposure for beer manufacturers if the experiment goes wrong.

Cocktails are made on the go, and a bartender can stop mixing in the CBD in case of anything, but there is a certain permanence to a bottled or canned beer. Thus, the decision must be made more cautiously as to whether CBD should be added into the drinks.

The need for caution has, however, not stopped big alcohol manufacturers. Powered by the available research findings, Constellation Brands is among the big names that have taken an interest in lacing their beer, producing CBD infused wine, and making other alcoholic products with CBD.

Like all other marijuana-related products, CBD is just coming out of the shadows, and there is still a lot that needs to be done by way of research and experimentation. In due time we shall see just how far the CBD – alcohol combo can be stretched and to what effect. The question that would present the guiding principles for mixing CBD with alcoholic beverages is how the two compounds would affect each other when mixed.

It will be easier to understand CBD and alcohol’s whole interaction when we figure out how CBD works in the body. Being a cannabinoid, CBD works by connecting on with the endocannabinoid system. This system is a relatively discovery of the functions of the body, and there is still a lot of research needed to understand exactly how it works. From what we know, the endocannabinoid system is a widespread network of organ systems that have the responsibility of restoring balance in the various parts of the body. Cannabinoids bind with CB1 and CB2 receptors, and in so doing, they restore homeostasis. This information is largely in the public domain, and as a CBD enthusiast, you may have heard of it.

You may not know that research shows that there are seven different genetic mutations of CB2 receptors.  How your receptors have mutated informs how your body responds to CBD. This means that how one person’s body reacts to CBD and alcohol may be completely different from how the next person reacts.

This means that the research findings discussed below are more general, and they may be a bit different from person to person. Therefore, you should study your reaction to CBD infused alcohol and, after that, chart a way forward.

Now to the research studies.

One of the earliest studies on record concerning the combination of CBD and alcohol in modern times was done in 1979. It found that people who took alcohol with CBD got drunk just like people who took alcoholic beverages without CBD.

There was a difference; however, people who took their alcohol with CBD registered lower blood alcohol levels than those who took alcohol alone. The study didn’t go into the details of why this happened. It doesn’t tell us much except that the combination of alcohol and CBD is a safe one.  It also tells us that we can probably take a drink a little above the legal limit and still avoid trouble with the law!

Some research findings indicate that CBD reduces withdrawal symptoms for recovering alcoholics. According to one study, when taken continuously for a week, CBD can help a person with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) reduce cravings for five months.

An alcoholic’s cravings come as a result of a disruption in the brain’s production of certain neurotransmitters. This disruption in neurotransmitter production is usually as a result of an increase of biomarkers for inflammation. When CBD connects with the CB2 receptors, it reduces the inflammation biomarkers, allowing the brain to produce the neurotransmitters, helping reduce cravings.

Besides an increase in inflammatory agents, alcohol also destroys the brain’s ability to produce endocannabinoids. It also destroys cannabinoid receptors in the body. When the production of endocannabinoids ceases, the body is deprived of its ability to regulate its internal environment naturally, thus craving for alcohol, which acts as a stabilizing agent in this situation.

The introduction of CBD in the body spurs the production of endocannabinoids. The body also replaces destroyed cannabinoid receptors out of necessity because now they are needed to connect with CBD. In doing this, CBD makes it unnecessary for the body to depend on alcohol for balance and hence the reduced dependence.

Excessive use of alcohol increases the accumulation of fats in the liver. It also causes the growth of fibroids in the liver. Both the accumulation of lipids and the growth of fibroids reduce the liver’s efficiency in the synthesis of alcohol and other ingested compounds.

When the liver is less efficient, a person needs to take higher alcohol quantities to feel the effects. The craving is necessitated by a brain that is unable to produce enough neurotransmitters due to the effects of alcohol, as described above.

This section stems from a question that is probably on your mind now. Does alcohol affect CBD oil? The answer is no. Alcohol doesn’t destroy the chemical structure of CBD when the two are mixed. This means that CBD can affect the body in more or less the same manner as when the two are taken separately.

When taken alongside alcohol, CBD’s can connect with CBD1 receptors, in the brain to stimulate it to keep producing neurotransmitters. CBD further keeps the endocannabinoid system active, and this spurs the brain to keep producing endocannabinoids. The endocannabinoids and CBD keep the cannabinoid receptors active, and the body is therefore incentivized to keep producing these receptors and replacing those that may be destroyed.

CBD also keeps fats from accumulating on the liver, and it also keeps fibroids from developing. This keeps the liver healthy and able to do its work about alcohol effectively. The person, therefore, doesn’t need to take large amounts of alcohol to feel its effects.

When all this happens, alcohol consumption doesn’t alter the body chemistry to cause the user to develop an alcohol dependence to stabilize body functions. You can now go ahead and enjoy your cannabis-infused alcohol. It is good for you!