How Does Marijuana Interact With Other Medications?

NOTE: Always discuss medical marijuana use and medications with your doctor before using MMJ

Explore the potential interactions between cannabinoids found in cannabis and other drugs, from blood sugar medications, to opioids, to highblood meds

Marijuana has been legal for medical use for many years across many states, and just recently, California approved recreational use of marijuana, which should mean more people will now have access to marijuana. One of the concerns experts have been pursuing is how marijuana interacts with other medications and part of the debate seeks to reveal what drugs should not be taken with CBD. Almost all chemical compounds interact with other compounds, and marijuana having a few compounds including THC and CBD is expected to show some reaction when used along with pharmaceutical drugs. THC to CBD ratios can influence the way marijuana interacts with other medications and in some cases taking marijuana may help to increase potency of the other medications, while it is also possible the user may experience negative effects. As a patient, one is required to adjust dosage according to how marijuana reacts to medication. Here is a drug interactions list that highlights the effect of marijuana on other medications.

Cannabis based medicines interaction with prescription drugs

Drugs for sugar levels A few studies have shown that cannabis could decrease the resistance of insulin, improve blood sugar control, and enhance the metabolic process. A lot of these studies have been conducted considering varying ratios of CBD and THC, and it has been seen that strains with low amounts of CBD and high THC levels have favored the use of other medications. This shows cannabis may work with other drugs in a favorable manner and there is also possibility of some risks as cannabis when combined with drugs for sugar levels may extremely lower glucose levels. If you choose to use marijuana with these drugs, you should make sure to monitor progress to ensure you don’t fall into potential risks and where needed you should adjust medication appropriately. Tramadol and CBD oil Cannabis can also be taken with tramadol, but there is high risk of interactions that could lead to dizziness and drowsiness. This combination should only be used after you are given approval by your doctor because different people will react in unique ways to the dosage. However, when the amounts of THC in the marijuana are low with high levels of CBD, you are likely not going to experience any negative interactions. CBD is non-psychoactive and will not get you high, so it will most likely not interact negatively with tramadol. But this is not to mean you cannot experience changes when you take CBD as everyone is different. There are many types of drug interactions and some of them give positive effects while others may be fatal. Sedatives A lot of sedatives like benzodiazepines and alcohol influence the GABA neurotransmitters found your central nervous system to create a calming effect. This is also the same results you will get when CBD and THC enters your system. But what happens when you combine cbd and antidepressants? When you combine CBD with marijuana, you will get an additive effect. Cannabis does not react to potentiate the sedative and this means while it may not be as risky as when sedatives are used with alcohol, there is still some risk that it many react otherwise. You need to be cautious when combining marijuana with sedatives, or to play safe you can avoid the combination. Opioids When the argument is based on abuse potential and toxicity, marijuana comes as a safer substitute to pain medications. Marijuana can be used as an alternative to opioids to reduce pain in patients but few have considered how their bodies would respond to using both medical marijuana and opioids. According to studies, it has been shown that using cannabis along with opioids in measured amounts leads to a reduction in pain by 27%. This concludes that cannabis can augment pain-relieving effects you get when you use opioids. Using cannabis with low amounts of opioids shows positive interaction that patients can benefit from to treat pain. This is one of the cbd interactions with other drugs that gives positive effects, but even in this case you have to watch dosage and ensure the marijuana you take has more amount of CBD compared to THC. Blood pressure medications One of the key properties of THC is that it stimulates the activation of CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors. When these receptors are activated a cardiovascular stress response is activated and what this means is that the patient gets more cardiac oxygen consumption and low blood flow through coronary arteries. While no reports have highlighted adverse effects, it is good to be cautious not to take both marijuana and blood pressure medication as this combination could complicate the situation. Can I smoke while on medication? Smoking marijuana is one way of consumption and in this case you have to choose the right strain if you would like to achieve positive results. The point to focus on is to ensure that you don’t mix marijuana with drugs that are likely to show a negative interaction. Make sure to consult your doctor for guidance on whether you can use marijuana with your medications and if so the right amounts to use. When THC is high in the marijuana, keen observation should follow to ensure the user does not get into severe effects that are likely to be manifested due to the interactions. How to safely use medical marijuana with other medications Prescription drugs react in different ways when combined with marijuana and this could either be severe negative results or benefits. The strategy most physicians use is offering moderate dosing and observing the reaction of the combination before passing it as a viable solution to hasten the working of prescription drugs. Varying ratios of THC and CBD will give different results and that is why you should only do moderate amounts until you are sure the combination you have is suitable for you. CBD hemp oil drug interactions will get you relaxed when used with the right drugs. Cannabis, when used alone, is safe but if combined with other drugs there is possibility it could react and lead to different results. That is why it is necessary to understand how your body responds to marijuana in combination with some medications before you fully choose this as a treatment solution for medical marijuana cards.