Cannabidiol, or CBD, can make a person drowsy—similar to alcohol. Mixing the two may promote a state of sedation. Research is still ongoing, so it is unknown whether mixing CBD and alcohol is safe.

CBD is one of the many substances present in the cannabis plant. Growing research suggests that this cannabinoid may possess many potential health benefits. People can generally tolerate CBD well, and it is not responsible for the high that people may associate with cannabis.

Alcohol is a depressant drug that can slow brain activity and can cause changes in mood and behavior.

When a person takes CBD, it may help protect against some of the more harmful effects of alcohol. This may include its impact on the liver and brain. Recent studies have also been investigating whether CBD has the potential to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD), as the consumption of CBD can reduce alcohol intake in some people.

The reason CBD could be a therapeutic option for people with AUD is that it affects the receptors in the brain that alcohol binds to. Medical professionals associate these receptors with several regions of the brain, such as reward, emotion, and executive function.

However, more research is necessary to understand how these two substances interact in the body and whether it is safe to consume both at the same time.

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Researchers do not currently know enough about how CBD interacts with alcohol in the body to recommend combining them. Present guidelines advise it may not be safe to mix CBD with alcohol, whether for short or long-term use.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)Trusted Source does not regulate CBD, so people who buy CBD products should be aware that they could contain other ingredients besides CBD. Some of these ingredients may be harmful and could include pesticides, heavy metals, bacteria, and fungi.

Legally, any establishment with an alcoholic beverage license cannot sell any alcohol products containing either CBD or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Nor can they mix either of these compounds into the drinks they serve.

Alcohol is known as a depressant. This refers to substances that affect the central nervous system (CNS). This can cause a slowing down of messages between the brain and body. Although health experts do not classify CBD as a depressant, it can causeTrusted Source drowsiness.

A 2019 reviewTrusted Source notes that common side effects of combining CBD and CNS depressants, such as alcohol, are drowsiness and sedation. As such, it is not advisable to combine CBD and alcohol and drive or operate machinery, as this can increase the risk of injuries.

Unlike THC, CBD is not impairing. This means it does not cause the high that people associate with cannabis. However, researchers still do not fully understand how it affects the body.

When mixed with alcohol or drugs that aim to slow brain activity, such as those that treat panic and sleep disorders, a person may feelTrusted Source drowsy or sedated. In this state, a person has a higher risk of injury than when awake and alert.

While CBD does have some therapeutic applications, such as in the treatment of rare forms of epilepsy, it is not risk-free. Potential side effects may includeTrusted Source:

  • drowsiness or sleepiness
  • diarrhea
  • changes in appetite
  • mood changes, for example, irritability
  • contraindications with other medications
  • liver damage

CBD may prevent alcohol from binding to the 5HT1A receptors in the brain. Some evidence suggests that these receptors may play a role in alcohol dependence and AUD. This suggests that CBD could reduceTrusted Source alcohol consumption, which may protect a person from brain and liver damage.

However, there are potentially negative effects too. Some people who mix alcohol and CBD experience more problems with coordination and balance. They may also overestimate the amount of time that has passed between drinks.

More research is necessary to accurately understand how CBD and alcohol interact within the body.

CBD may help treat AUD in some people due to its effect on the brain. A 2019 reviewTrusted Source that focused on preliminary research in animals observed that CBD reduced:

  • alcohol intake
  • liver-damaging processes
  • alcohol-related brain damage

Due to a reduction in brain and liver damage, researchers suggest that if the same effect is observed in humans, CBD could improve or maintain both cognition and liver function in people living with AUD.

CBD may exert its effect by influencing the reward centers of the brain and affecting certain addictive behaviors, including alcohol use.

Since CBD may normalize the brain’s response to certain substances, it could supportTrusted Source positive behavioral changes regarding alcohol use.

At present, it is not advisable for a person to take CBD and alcohol. There is limited research regarding the safety and efficacy of CBD for both short and long-term use. The amount of studies focusing on how CBD and alcohol interact within the body is even smaller.

However, what experts do know about mixing alcohol with CBD is that it can increase the riskTrusted Source of sedation and sleepiness. This increases a person’s risk of injuring themselves or others.

CBD and alcohol both affect the brain and mixing the two can increaseTrusted Source tiredness and sedation. Other side effects a person may experience when taking CBD include a change in appetite and mood.

A person should generally avoid mixing CBD and alcohol due to the lack of research regarding their joint effect on the body. CBD is also not regulated by the FDATrusted Source, so other ingredients may interact with alcohol, increasing the risk of severe side effects.