More and more people can experiment and enjoy the wondrous world of cannabis as more countries and states in the United States legalize the use of cannabis both for medical and leisure purposes. Because of this, more people come to the table wanting to discuss how cannabis affects mundane things we do. As a result, more researches are being done.
One of these mundane things is man’s relationship with coffee and caffeine in particular. Currently, there is no hard evidence pointing out the exact effects of taking cannabis with caffeine due to a lack of data and research.
COFFEE AND CANNABIS: HOW THEY INTERACT
The consumption of cannabis and caffeine at the same time may yield different results than separate consumption-based on research, however, it is still in its early stages.
As we know, caffeine is generally a stimulant, on the other hand, cannabis can either act as a stimulant or a depressant. Simply put, caffeine tends to energize most people. The effects of cannabis may vary depending on the consumer, but most people use it for relaxation.
One can assume that caffeine may cancel out the effects of cannabis, or vice versa. An example of this is one may consume a little bit of cannabis to counter coffee jitters. But so far, no evidence supports the two can counteract each other.
COFFEE AND CANNABIS: THE EFFECTS OF MIXING THE TWO
As mentioned, there is no hard evidence showing whether or not the two substance counter or interacts with each other. However, there have been animal researches done that may suggest how mixing coffee and cannabis together may enhance the effects of your regular cannabis.
COFFEE AND CANNABIS: A DIFFERENT ‘HIGH’
During research done in 2014, monkeys and squirrels are given THC. The monkeys had an option to receive more. Then, researchers gave them doses of MSX-3, a substance that produces similar effects to those of caffeine. In low doses, the monkeys gave themselves less THC while at high doses, they gave themselves more THC.
Thus, this suggests that low levels of caffeine enhance the high so you can consume little amounts of cannabis but can do the opposite on high levels which leads you to more consumption of cannabis.
That being said, this does not serve as enough evidence since it was done on animals, not humans.
COFFEE AND CANNABIS: THE MEMORY
Caffeine is best known for its ability to energize people. A lot of people drink coffee, tea, or energy drink in the morning to help them wake up. It can also help you get focused and increases concentration. It also helps working memory. On the other hand, cannabis is infamous for its less desirable effect on memory. You may assume that the two can balance the effects but that does not seem to be the case.
In 2012, a study showed how a combination of caffeine and THC affected memory in rats. The results suggest that a combination of caffeine and a low dose of THC seemed to impair working memory more than a higher dose of THC would on its own.
Again, this is not enough evidence since the test was done on rats and not on humans.
COFFEE AND CANNABIS: IMMEDIATE RISKS
There have not been any serious risks or side effects of combining caffeine and cannabis yet. But it does not mean that there are not any. It is good to know how an individual’s body reacts to the effects of those two individuals.
Things to remember when you decide to try the two together. These are steps to avoid drastic mistakes:
- Experiment with small doses. Don’t overwhelm your body. It’s important to know how your body reacts to the combination of the two so you don’t get surprised with the effects if you take more of it together in the future.
- Take your time. You’re not in a race. Allow your body to adjust and react before you do anything else.
- You need to be aware you how much you use. When you are having a great time, you can easily lose track of what you are doing. This is not an option here!
It is important to know that ingesting large amounts of caffeine comes with serious risks such as high blood pressure to a rapid heart rate. There also have been deaths related to ingesting large amounts of caffeine, though researchers noted that the deceased took caffeine pills or powder, not caffeinated drinks.
To sum it up, do what you want as long as your body can handle it without any serious side effects. If you experience any unusual symptoms, seek medical attention or guidance. You likely are not in any great danger, but the combination of caffeine’s heart-racing effects and marijuana’s tendency to cause anxiety in some people can be a recipe for panic.
COFFEE AND CANNABIS: LONG-TERM EFFECTS
There is no harm in experimenting. However, you need to remember that there is still no hard evidence to show if there are long-term effects of using caffeine and cannabis together. Keep in mind that animal experiments showed that consuming THC and large amounts of caffeine may reduce its high. This might lead you to more consumption of cannabis.
COFFEE AND CANNABIS: CONCLUSION
Today, researchers in the field of cannabis and medicine are still not one hundred percent sure on how to stand between using the two substances together. They know that too much of anything can harm, that’s for sure. But the full extent of how caffeine and cannabis interact is still a mystery to be solved in the future. With the research available to us, it’s safe to say that we need to approach this carefully as to not cause harm to ourselves.
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