If you use CBD oil, you have probably wondered: is it wise to drink alcohol while using CBD oil? We drink alcohol more often than we think. A glass of wine or a beer after a hard day’s work. At a party or a birthday or on a lovely summer day on the terrace. The mulled wine at a Christmas market. For every occasion, it’s possible to have a glass of alcohol. But is it smart if you use CBD oil? Does alcohol affect the effect of CBD oil? In this blog article, we will explore this in more detail.
What is CBD?
CBD, which stands for cannabidiol, is a substance from the cannabis plant. CBD oil is often compared to cannabis oil but is not the same. Cannabis oil contains a large amount of THC, while CBD oil usually contains little or no THC. The cannabis plants used to make CBD products are grown solely for producing CBD products. It is not possible to make cannabis oil or other cannabis products from them.
In addition to CBD, there are other cannabinoids and terpenes in the cannabis plant. Think of CBN, CBC, CBG, and many others. When CBD is produced and not filtered, the CBD product contains all cannabinoids. This is known as Full Spectrum CBD. The CBD then also contains a small amount of THC, never more than 0.05%. Besides Full Spectrum CBD, there is also pure CBD, which consists of only CBD, and THC-free CBD. These products contain no THC but do include all other cannabinoids. In Full Spectrum CBD, the cannabinoids enhance each other's effects, creating the ‘entourage effect’.
CBD can enhance the effect of alcohol
Now we know what CBD is and the different types of CBD. Above, the ‘entourage effect’ was mentioned. The cannabinoids enhance each other’s effects. Besides enhancing each other’s effects, CBD can also enhance other substances. If you take medication and use CBD, it may be that a medication works longer than usual. It can enhance the effect of a medication. This is why we always recommend contacting your doctor if you use CBD in combination with medication. This effect can also occur with alcohol. If you use CBD and drink alcohol, the alcohol may work faster or stay in your blood longer. You may feel intoxicated more quickly or feel the effects of alcohol for longer. However, little research has been done on this and there is little evidence.
CBD, alcohol, and various complaints
CBD is becoming increasingly popular. In 2013, the CNN documentary “Weed” was released. It was about Charlotte Figi, a young girl who suffered from epilepsy. A special CBD oil with a high CBD percentage was developed for Charlotte. CBD is safe to use for children, so it was okay for Charlotte. The young girl had more than 300 seizures per day because she suffered from Dravet Syndrome. Thanks to the use of CBD, the seizures have almost completely disappeared.
You can imagine that this news spread all over the world. CBD was put on the map and became extremely popular as a result. Since then, more and more positive stories have appeared in the news from CBD users with complaints.
CBD oil can be used for internal and often invisible complaints. This can be for mild complaints, such as stress or insomnia, but also for severe complaints like chronic back pain. We offer CBD oil in different percentages. The lightest variant is 5% and the strongest variant is 30%. The right dosage varies for everyone. One person reacts differently than another, and some have underlying complaints. This can intensify the complaints. The CBD oil may then work better at a higher dosage or a higher percentage. We recommend the following CBD oil percentages for the following complaints.
CBD oil 2.5% can be used for children or for very mild complaints such as:
- Restlessness
- Stress
- Insomnia
- Concentration problems
- ADD / ADHD (children)
- Autism
CBD oil 5% can be used by adults for mild complaints such as:
- Restlessness
- Stress
- Insomnia
- Concentration problems
- Mild mental complaints
- Anxiety disorders
- Recovery from sports injuries
- Muscle recovery
- Preventive use
- Epilepsy
CBD oil 10% can be used for mild to severe complaints such as:
- Pain complaints
- Severe headaches or migraines
- COPD / Asthma
- Rheumatism (mild form)
- More severe mental complaints
- ADD / ADHD (adults)
- Depression
- Anxiety disorders
- Severe menstrual complaints
- Diabetes
- Parkinson’s
- Osteoporosis
- Anorexia / bulimia
- Stomach and intestinal complaints
CBD oil 20% can be used for severe complaints such as:
- Chronic pain complaints
- Chronic back pain
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatism (severe form)
- Severe lung complaints
- (Severe) depression
- Severe anxiety disorder
- Alzheimer’s
30% or higher is used by experienced CBD users who know the effects of CBD and have been using it for a longer time.
Use of alcohol and CBD
Using alcohol can cause problems. We know that alcohol has no positive effect on your body and well-being. Therefore, it is best not to use alcohol if you are using CBD. Additionally, alcohol worsens your sleep and you wake up less fit and with less energy. CBD is often used for sleep problems or restlessness. If the sleep problems are caused by heavy alcohol consumption, then CBD is not the solution. In this case, you sleep poorly because of the alcohol use and try to solve it by using CBD. This is a situation that will not work.
Reduce your alcohol consumption if you use CBD
We all know that alcohol is not good for the body. Yet the average Dutch person drinks 9.6 liters of pure alcohol per year. This is equivalent to 558 cans of beer of 330 ml. If we think about it carefully, this is actually quite remarkable and causes many complaints as we get older. Our body has to process the alcohol every time. Drinking alcohol is part of our social system. Anyone who asks for a soft drink or water at a party or birthday is looked at strangely. No alcohol? Is something wrong? Advertisements on TV or radio advise us to ‘drink in moderation.’ We can decide for ourselves what ‘drinking in moderation’ means. We are advised not to drink more than 1 glass of alcohol per day. Not drinking is always better for your health.
Alcohol is a corrosive substance. It can directly affect the throat, mouth, esophagus, and stomach. The severity depends on your own condition, the amount of alcohol, and the type of drink. When you consume alcohol, you usually feel noticeable changes in mood, slowed reaction time, and impaired vision after a few drinks. If you drink more, your senses can become numb, and after more than 20 drinks, the chance of unconsciousness is high. Eventually, your central nervous system can become so numb that the respiratory centers become paralyzed, and you can experience respiratory arrest. Therefore, be very careful with alcohol use.
CBD and driving
It is well known that you must not participate in traffic if you have consumed alcohol. Therefore, do not do this! But you are allowed to participate in traffic if you have taken CBD. Above, it was briefly described what CBD is and that CBD oil is often compared to cannabis oil. The big difference is the THC it contains. If you are under the influence of THC, you are not allowed to participate in traffic or drive a car. The percentage of THC in CBD is negligible. To sell legal CBD oil in the Netherlands, it may not contain more than 0.05% THC. It is impossible to overdose on CBD or become impaired by the THC in CBD oil.
If you want to avoid THC completely, you can choose a CBD oil without THC. At ProHemp we have a wide range of CBD products. Most products are made from CBD Broad Spectrum. This is a THC-free CBD. We also have a Full Spectrum CBD oil. This oil contains less than 0.05% THC. This ensures that you can participate in traffic with all our products.
What makes ProHemp unique?
If you want to use CBD oil, it is important to choose a good CBD oil. There are many providers on the market offering CBD oil. The quality varies among providers. If u When buying CBD oil, keep a few points in mind:
- Only buy in a secure environment.
- Check the customer reviews.
- See if there is a test report with the product.
- Check the company information and see if it is accurate.
- Does the website have a contact page?
- Does the website have a FAQ?
- Read the about us page and see how the company was founded.
The most important thing is that the company is trustworthy. Feel free to ask if they know how the CBD oil is made, if a test report is available, and how the production process works.
Is the environment secure? Does the URL start with https or http? Always go for https, as that means you are in a secure environment. The payment methods are also very important.
Look at customer reviews. Ultimately, those who came before you tell you how the service is, how the product is, and whether the company is trustworthy or not. Customers who had a good experience will show it.
If you want to purchase CBD, you will want personal contact first. Always check if the company is open to contact. Can you easily find the phone number? Can you ask for personal advice or is there a chat function on the website?
At ProHemp, we have it all. We stand behind our product and know what our customers value. The well-being of our customers is our top priority. That’s why you always receive personal and honest advice. Together with our team, we look at which product suits you best. Whether you are a beginner CBD user or have used it before, our team of specialists is ready to assist you.
We only provide advice. In case of (serious) complaints, we always recommend contacting your general practitioner or specialist.