By Steven Voser Reviewed by: Carles Doménech

Keep reading for our in-depth guide on cannabis drug interactions.


Cannabis is a pharmacologically complex plant that, for many reasons (including decades of prohibition), we still don’t fully understand. What we do know, however, is that cannabis’ unique chemical compounds can interact with other external substances (recreational and medicinal), altering our body’s biological processes.

If you’re thinking about mixing cannabis with other recreational substances or prescription medication, keep reading for a detailed overview of how cannabis interacts with other drugs.

Understanding Drug Interactions

A drug interaction is defined as the modification of the effect of a drug by the action of a second drug (prescription medicine or a recreational substance—legal or illicit), food, or drink when they are administered together. These interactions can alter the way one or more of the drugs work, affecting their efficacy in turn.

When you take two or more substances together, a few different outcomes can occur:

  • Additive effect: This means each substance produces the effect it is intended to produce independently. Thus, when combined, the effects of both substances are “added” to each other, rather than synergising.
  • Synergistic effect: This is when substances combine to produce a greater effect than they would when taken separately.
  • Antagonistic effect: This means one or more of the substances taken together become less effective than if they were taken on their own.

Drug interactions occur via numerous mechanisms, including:

  • Increasing or decreasing drug absorption in the digestive tract
  • Altering drug metabolism in the liver
  • Increasing or decreasing the rate at which the body excretes drugs via the kidneys
  • By triggering competing actions in the body

A few factors can affect how at-risk you are of experiencing a drug interaction:

  • Being dehydrated
  • Being very young or very old
  • Being over- or underweight
  • Having an underlying medical condition
  • Taking multiple medications at a time
  • Having poor nutrition

How Cannabis Is Broken Down by the Body

Cannabis contains over 100 different cannabinoid compounds, but the ones we know the most about are THC and CBD. Research shows that both compounds are metabolised by cytochrome P450, a group of enzymes responsible for metabolising a large number of substances, including most of the active compounds of prescription medications. 

When THC, CBD, and other cannabis compounds are present in our bodies, they could compete for oxidation by the same cytochrome P450 subgroup, which could slow down the metabolism of some other recreational drugs (like LSD, amphetamines, and alcohol, among others), and prescription medications.. Make sure to keep that in mind whenever you’re thinking of combining cannabis with other substances.

How Cannabis Is Broken Down by the Body

What Makes Cannabis Unique to Other Drugs?

Cannabis is unique to many other drugs (both recreational substances and prescription medications) in numerous ways:

  • Chemical composition: Cannabis doesn’t contain just one single active ingredient. While THC is by far the most recognised component in cannabis, the plant contains over 400 different compounds of note, including other cannabinoids, terpenes, and more.
  • Variety: Cannabis strains vary dramatically. Even strains of the same name can have very different chemical profiles and potencies, and therefore produce very different effects.
  • Personal experience: Cannabis affects different people in different ways, and some people may be more tolerant of its effects than others.
  • Effects: Cannabis doesn’t fit neatly into the categories we use to classify other substances. While it can definitely be a “downer” (or depressant), it can also produce uplifting effects similar to those produced by stimulants or “uppers”. At the same time, cannabis can produce some of the effects typically associated with hallucinogens (such as a warped perception of time).

Understanding the unique nature of cannabis and, more importantly, how it affects us as individuals, can be very useful in helping us to decide if we try it, when, where, and how to use the herb. If you find cannabis often has a relaxing, sedative-like effect on you, make sure to keep that in mind when mixing it with other substances that have the same or opposite effect.

Related story

What is THC?

How Does Cannabis Interact With Other Recreational Drugs?

Cannabis is one of the most commonly used recreational drugs on the planet, even in areas where it remains criminalised. Here’s how it reacts with other recreational drugs.

  • Alcohol

Alcohol is arguably the most popular recreational drug on the planet. And, while you can legally buy almost unlimited amounts of alcohol almost anywhere in the world, it's far from safe, especially when you compare it to other substances.

There’s limited scientific research on the effects of mixing alcohol and cannabis. One study[1] suggests that drinking alcohol prior to consuming cannabis can increase absorption of THC in the body. Elevated levels of THC in the body will not lead to fatality, but it can cause sweating, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.

  • Amphetamines

Cannabis is often used in conjunction with amphetamines and derivatives like MDMA. Anecdotal evidence suggests cannabis may attenuate some of the negative symptoms of the amphetamine comedown.

Few scientific studies have actually looked at the interaction between cannabis and amphetamines. However, animal studies[2] suggest that the endocannabinoid system may play a role in the addiction cycle, and therefore cannabis could also affect the addictive properties of amphetamines. However, it’s important to remember that amphetamines are stimulant drugs, and cannabis—as it is composed of a variety of different compounds—can produce depressant, stimulant, and even hallucinogenic effects, complicating the interaction between the two drugs.

How Does Cannabis Interact With Other Recreational Drugs?
  • Cocaine

Cocaine is a potent stimulant, and the way it interacts with cannabis can be difficult to pin down. When it acts as a depressant, cannabis might offset the cocaine high, and possibly offset some of the cravings and negative side effects of a cocaine comedown. However, mixing the stimulative effects of cocaine with the depressant effects of cannabis may exacerbate some of the negative side effects of either drug.

Cannabis could also antagonise[3] cocaine-induced blood vessel constriction, which increases absorption of cocaine in the body, resulting in a faster onset and an increased risk of side effects and overdose. When it acts predominantly as a stimulant, cannabis might exacerbate some of the effects of cocaine.

  • Codeine

Codeine is an opioid drug that depresses the central nervous system. When combined with cannabis, the two substances can produce a very sedative and euphoric buzz. And while cannabis isn’t technically classified as a depressant, it can act like one, and therefore have a synergistic effect on codeine and other depressants. Studies[4] have also shown that using codeine with cannabis can cause anxiety and depression.

  • DMT

DMT is a psychedelic drug that’s typically smoked alone. However, it is also consumed with monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) to create the smokable herb mix known as “changa”, or the ayahuasca brew. There are no formal studies showing how cannabis interacts with DMT, but users often find the two to have a synergistic effect.

Some say, for example, that smoking cannabis before using DMT helps them relax both into and out of the trip. These accounts are similar to those from users of other psychedelics, such as LSD and magic mushrooms. Some "psychonauts" find cannabis to help reduce stomach upset commonly associated with some entheogens, while others say it could catalyse an upset stomach.

  • Ketamine

Ketamine is a dissociative anaesthetic that can be swallowed, snorted, injected, or smoked, often together with cannabis or tobacco. Again, there are no studies into how ketamine and cannabis interact, but users tend to report that cannabis increases the ketamine high and can, in some instances, exacerbate effects like drowsiness and dizziness.

  • LSD

Mixing LSD and cannabis tends to produce a synergistic effect. Many people find that cannabis enhances the visual hallucinations of an acid trip, or even re-triggers them. In fact, it's common to smoke a joint towards the end of an acid trip in hopes of "bringing back" some of the visuals. LSD users often smoke cannabis on the come-up as well, in part to reduce the jitters and nausea associated with the early stages of a trip.

How Does Cannabis Interact With Other Recreational Drugs?
  • Magic Mushrooms

Like with LSD, cannabis tends to have a synergistic relationship with psilocybin mushrooms. Experienced psychedelics users find that combining weed and magic mushrooms usually has positive effects. Keep in mind that the synergistic effects of mixing these two substances can be overwhelming for those new to mushrooms.

  • Salvia Divinorum

Like the other psychedelics mentioned above, cannabis and salvia tend to be synergistic. Nevertheless, cannabis can intensify or calm some aspects of your salvia trip when mixed.  On its own, salvia can be described as extremely intense (depending on intake method), causing extreme acute dissociation in some cases.

  • Laughing Gas (NOS)

Laughing gas, or nitrous oxide, is used as a sedative to provide pain relief and produce a calm, giggly euphoria. Cannabis tends to increase the effects of laughing gas, and some people find taking the two together to produce profound sedative effects (especially when taking high doses of the latter), similar to those produced by ketamine.

How Does Cannabis Interact With Prescription Drugs?

As mentioned, studies show that THC and CBD are metabolised[5] by cytochrome p450 enzymes. A subset of these enzymes, known as the CYP3A family, is responsible for metabolising up to 60% of all drugs in use[6]. If you’re taking medication, keep reading to see how cannabis might interact.

  • Blood Sugar Medication

One of the most common blood sugar medications on the market today is metformin, which is prescribed to diabetes patients. Despite the lack of evidence, THC is thought to decrease the effectiveness of this medication. However, other phytocannabinoids are also believed to have potential benefits[7] related to diabetes treatment, including stabilising blood sugar levels.

  • Blood Pressure Medication

Both THC and CBD have been studied[8] to some extent for their impact on blood pressure. Individuals tend to experience lowered blood pressure, and in relationship, an increased heart rate, when taking THC. However, some people—under this low blood pressure scenario—can also experience postural hypotension (a sudden, unpleasant drop in blood pressure when standing up that can cause vertigo, fainting, and nausea) under the influence of THC.

  • Blood Thinners

Some research suggests that cannabis can interact with blood thinners, reducing its effect. On the other hand, some isolated compounds, such as CBD, could cause the opposite effect by inhibiting the metabolism of these drugs. More research is needed to properly understand how cannabis and blood thinners interact.

How Does Cannabis Interact With Other Recreational Drugs?
  • Opioids

Cannabis and opioids don’t seem to interact in a direct fashion, potentially because the compounds within are processed via different systems (the endocannabinoid system and the opioid system, respectively). However, some of the compounds in cannabis have analgesic effects that may complement the effects of opioids used for pain relief. Intriguingly, there is growing clinical evidence[9] to support the use of cannabis as a novel strategy to prevent opioid abuse and fatalities.

  • Sedatives

Studies suggest that cannabis has an antagonistic interaction with sedative medications such as propofol. While everyone experiences cannabis differently, some strains definitely have sedative effects, which may make patients more tolerant of sedative medications. Research[10] from The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association shows that patients who regularly used cannabis needed significantly higher sedative doses prior to an endoscopy than patients who didn’t use cannabis.

  • Antidepressants

There are many different antidepressants on the market, each of which have different effects. In terms of how cannabis interacts with different antidepressants, some people find the herb to produce mood-boosting effects, while others experience exacerbated depression and anxiety symptoms.

  • Antibiotics

Cytochrome P450 enzymes also work to break down certain forms of antibiotics. As both THC and CBD interact with these proteins in a way that inhibits their activity, both could theoretically slow down the liver’s metabolism of antibiotics and increase the risk of side effects. However, little research has explored the interactions between cannabis and antibiotics in humans. Despite this grey area, no major reports exist that detail severe adverse side effects in patients taking the two drugs at one time. Always consult with a medical professional if you plan on continuing cannabis use while undergoing a course of antibiotics.

Mixing Cannabis With Other Drugs — The Bottom Line

Unfortunately, there’s still a whole lot we don’t know about cannabis and the way it affects our bodies—even when taken alone. Hence, if you decide to consume it, we always recommend doing it by itself rather than mixing it with other drugs. Hopefully, as more time and energy goes into understanding cannabis, we’ll have a lot more clarity about how to best use this amazing plant.

Medical DisclaimerInformation listed, referenced or linked to on this website is for general educational purposes only and does not provide professional medical or legal advice.

Royal Queen Seeds does not condone, advocate or promote licit or illicit drug use. Royal Queen Seeds Cannot be held responsible for material from references on our pages or on pages to which we provide links, which condone, advocate or promote licit or illicit drug use or illegal activities.

Please consult your Doctor/Health care Practitioner before using any products/methods listed, referenced or linked to on this website.

External Resources:
  1. Ethanol increases plasma Delta(9) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  2. Interactions of Cannabis and Amphetamine-Type Stimulants | SpringerLink https://link.springer.com
  3. What Happens If You Mix Cocaine And Weed? | The Recovery Village Palm Beach at Baptist Health https://www.floridarehab.com
  4. The Dangers of Combining Codeine and Weed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  5. Cytochrome P450 enzymes involved in the metabolism of tetrahydrocannabinols and cannabinol by human hepatic microsomes - PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  6. The Role of CYP450 Drug Metabolism in Precision Cardio-Oncology https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  7. Cannabis and Diabetes https://www.diabetes.co.uk
  8. A single dose of cannabidiol reduces blood pressure in healthy volunteers in a randomized crossover study https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  9. Emerging Evidence for Cannabis' Role in Opioid Use Disorder https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  10. Effects of Cannabis Use on Sedation Requirements for Endoscopic Procedures | The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association https://jaoa.org
Disclaimer:
This content is for educational purposes only. The information provided is derived from research gathered from external sources.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: