Is It Wise To Mix Caffeine And Cannabis?
Many countries have legalized the use of marijuana. This has led to an increase in the number of people using the drug. Doctors have also gone ahead to research, and they’re discovering many good benefits of the herb. Caffeine is the most widely used drug in the world. There then arises a worry if it’s safe to use the two drugs together. We are also interested to know the effects that could come along.
People have reported various effects, like claiming that caffeine enhances the high of marijuana. What we don’t know is if it’s scientifically proven that the two drugs counteract each other. Let us find out more.
Caffeine and Cannabis: How They Interact With the Human Body
Most beverages use caffeine. It’s the most used drug. The beverages include coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks, and chocolate. The stimulant is also found in other dietary supplements and some flavorings like guarana. Most people use caffeine because it has many benefits.
It’s recommended that a healthy adult takes not more than 400mg of caffeine per day by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This amount can barely cause any side effects unless one is sensitive to caffeine. If taken in higher doses, however, caffeine can cause adverse effects like:
- Lack of sleep
- Irregular heart rates
- High blood pressure
- Anxiety
- Elevated cholesterol levels
- Headache
- Jitters
- Dependence
Marijuana, now legal in most countries, is also being used widely. It has many benefits, including medicinal. Patients are now turning to marijuana to combat many symptoms such as pain, seizures, sleep disorders, and even anxiety. Cannabis has many cannabinoids, and each reacts differently with the human body. They can energize, uplift, and cause one to be high while also inducing relaxation and sleep. When used in high doses, there can be some negative effects, including:
- Increased anxiety
- Paranoia
- Dizziness
- Dryness of mouth and eyes
- Less concentration
- Reduced coordination
- Reduced memory
- Dependence
More about Cannabis and Caffeine
The two drugs have numerous effects on the human body. This is because they’re able to bind with receptors in our brain and the nervous system.
Caffeine influences adenosine receptors in the human brain. Adenosine is very important in the human body as it controls blood vessels and also is the central nervous system depressant.
The cannabinoid that causes intoxication in cannabis, THC, acts on CB1 receptors that work with endogenous cannabinoids such as anandamide. The endogenous cannabinoids have many responsibilities, such as memory, cognitive functions, and pain perception.
Both adenosine and CB1 receptors influence the neurotransmitters glutamate and dopamine and can cause addiction.
How Then Do They Behave When Mixed?
Unfortunately, there are few scientific studies regarding the effects of cannabis and caffeine when used together. Let us take a look at the few studies that have been done.
Research on Caffeine and Cannabis
In 2017 a study was published in the Annals of Neurosciences. This trial was aimed at checking the effects of caffeine and cannabis. They used six groups of rats. Two groups were administered with high and low doses of caffeine, two more were administered with high and low doses of cannabis, and one was administered with a combination of caffeine and cannabis in low levels. At the same time, the last was left as the control.
The brain tissues of these rats were tested after twenty-one days. They checked neurotransmitters and enzymes. All the rats that were on caffeine and cannabis showed elevated levels of the neurotransmitter’s glutamate, dopamine, and GABA. There was also an increase in the levels of an enzyme called G-6-PDH. There was a bigger increase in the rats on caffeine compared to the ones on cannabis. G-6-PDH increase was the highest in the rats that were on a combined dose of caffeine and cannabis.
Although we can’t use these results to conclude that there are similar effects on the human body, an increase in dopamine after cannabis and caffeine use is significant. Dopamine is the transmitter that controls feeling good and the reward response when one does something pleasurable. The reason one feels so good after taking a cup of coffee and marijuana could be because both caffeine and cannabis boost dopamine levels.
In a combined dose of caffeine and cannabis, most changes were noted in the enzyme G-6-PDH. This enzyme is important in the production of energy, metabolism of glucose, production, and development of cells. It’s, however, dangerous when overproduced as it can lead to elevated blood lipids, obesity, and insulin resistance.
Do Caffeine And Cannabis Affect Memory Function?
Caffeine helps people feel more alert and focused. This is the reason a cup of coffee in the morning makes you feel awake. It has been reported to improve the working memory.
Cannabis, on the other hand, has fewer desirable effects on the memory. It has been reported to reduce cognitive function and memory, especially when used when the brain is still developing.
You would think that the two, when used together, would balance each other. They don’t. A study on rats in 2012 showed that THC impaired working memory. The impairment was even increased when caffeine was used together with cannabis. This could be because of the way caffeine affects the adenosine receptors in the brain. This doesn’t necessarily mean that it could act similarly in humans.
Influence of Cannabis and Caffeine on Anxiety
Caffeine can cause anxiety in some people. Marijuana is used to treat anxiety symptoms but can cause anxiety in some people. This is because people react differently. It’s also because of the interaction of THC and CBD. THC can relieve the symptoms in low doses. It, however, increases the chance of getting anxiety when used in higher doses. CBD decreases anxiety in all doses, whether high or low.
We can’t conclude that mixing caffeine and cannabis doesn’t cause anxiety, although there is no recent research on the same. It’s therefore advisable that people who are prone to anxiety avoid a mixture of the two substances. They should also avoid the marijuana strains that are high in THC and go for those rich in CBD.
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