Mixing Substances – Alcohol and Cannabis
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): Lift Cannabis News (Submitted/Unpublished)
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2017/02/11
“The virtue of justice consists in moderation, as regulated by wisdom,” Aristotle said, which seems true to me. The notion of excess, even in the use commonly accepted substances, seems
foolhardy, especially when decided and acted on oneself and others. Sometimes, individual recreational substances can be beneficial, but in combination can be harmful. Or the individual recreational, even therapeutic in many cases, substances can be benign with no serious impacts to health whatsoever, leaving the utility in its recreational or therapeutic use something to celebrate in Canada. Take coffee, for example, it is beneficial in moderate amounts for the user, which provides a series of health benefits, but too much and then harm sets based on specific genetic precursors for the inability to break down caffeine. What about sets of substances, common ones?
One common set is alcohol and cannabis. Alcohol, in moderation, appears to improve health outcomes. According to the Mayo Clinic, moderate alcohol use in healthy adults means 1 drink for women in all age cohorts and up to 2 drinks for men age 65 and older, e.g. 12 fluid ounces of beer or 5 fluid ounces of wine. In fact, it’s potential benefits can be reduction in the risk of the development of heart disease (and “dying from heart disease”), a reduction in the risk of ischemic stroke or the narrowing or blacking of arteries to the brain, and the reduction in the chances for diabetes. Not bad.
Cannabis is not harmful in moderate amounts in the adult population. It has been shown to, even to those that do not use it, produce feelings of “relaxation or well-being.” It even has the potential to treat “chronic skin disorders, cancer-related weakness and weight loss, chronic pain, Huntington’s disease, sleep disorders, eye disease, multiple sclerosis, and schizophrenia.” Also, pretty good. What about the mix?
The Mayo Clinic notes that alcohol should used with caution, especially with the driving of automobiles. Cannabis can increase the probability of collision, the “risk of collision,” in combination with alcohol. Where the effects are on alertness and driving performance, the associated impact with driving can be inferred. Drivers need to be alert to avoid collisions. So, what’s the take-home message?
The moderate and judicious use of cannabis and alcohol individually can enhance specific health outcomes from heart disease and ischemic stroke for alcohol to general well-being, sleep disorders, and chronic skin disorders for cannabis. Recalling, of course, the main source of the information provided is from one of the leading medical centers in the world, the Mayo Clinic. If you’re going to use cannabis, alcohol, or coffee for that matter, solely, then the moderate use can be a benefit. But if you’re going to mix cannabis and alcohol, then the main concern will be mental acuity, especially as it pertains to driving motorized vehicles, which is an important thing to bear in mind when mixing cannabis and alcohol.
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