One drink and you’re okay to drive, right? Maybe. What about one drink and a bit of weed?
With marijuana use legalized for recreational use in California, we are slowly understanding the new rules that come with it. If you’re trying new things, like marijuana, it’s important to be informed about how it can interact with other parts of your life.
Marijuana and alcohol
When you mix alcohol and marijuana and end up both drunk and high at the same time, you are “crossfaded.” Cannabis cocktails are becoming increasingly popular in California, a trendy way to consume two of the most popular substances. While not all these drinks are formulated to get you high, combining the two intoxicants can be dangerous.
Alcohol alters the way your body processes marijuana. It increases your absorption of THC, weed’s psychoactive ingredient, and results in a stronger high. It can also decrease the feelings of alcohol, meaning that you may be more affected by your drink than you feel. Unfortunately, the combination can also have nasty effects. If not used carefully, it can lead to sweating, dizziness, nausea and vomiting.
Marijuana, alcohol and driving
Driving while either high or drunk is illegal and will likely lead to a DUI, or worse. When you combine marijuana and alcohol, you are likely to have less understanding of your own impairment. It can be easy not to feel the full effects of either substance when they are together, it can be difficult to determine how intoxicated you are.
The best choice you can make if you are going to smoke, drink or combine the two, is not to drive at all. If you do end up in a situation that gets you charged with a DUI, though, you should always seek professional legal representation as soon as possible.
