Marijuana and Alcohol
Mixing alcohol and cannabis is likely to impair judgment, coordination and reactions more than either alone. Edibles can delay effects, and feeling less high does not prove it is safe to drive.
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What Happens When You Mix Marijuana and Alcohol?
Mixing marijuana and alcohol is likely to cause greater impairment than using either alone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that this added impairment can increase the risk of physical harm. You may have more difficulty making decisions, keeping your balance or responding to danger than you expect.[1][3]
Cannabis, also called marijuana or weed, contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the compound responsible for its mind-altering high. Mixing includes more than drinking and smoking at the same moment. Alcohol and cannabis taken at different times can still affect you together when their effects overlap.
Crossfaded is an informal description of feeling drunk and high at the same time, not a medical diagnosis or a measure of how impaired someone is.
If someone is difficult to wake, having a seizure or breathing slowly or irregularly, call 911 now. Do not assume these symptoms are just a bad high. They can be signs of alcohol poisoning.[2]
Keep these risks in mind:
- Impairment can increase. The combination can make judgment, coordination and reactions worse than either substance alone.[1]
- Edibles and THC drinks can catch you off guard. Effects may be delayed and last longer than expected, especially when alcohol is also involved.[4]
- Order is not a safety rule. Switching which substance comes first or waiting a fixed number of hours does not guarantee safety.[5]
- Serious symptoms need help. Trouble staying awake, seizures or abnormal breathing should not be dismissed as “greening out.”[2]
What Should You Do If You Already Mixed Marijuana and Alcohol?
Do not use more alcohol or cannabis, do not drive, and ask a sober person to stay with you. If you feel sick, have an unexpected reaction or are unsure how serious the situation is, contact U.S. Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for guidance.[1]
When to Call Emergency Services After Mixing Marijuana and Alcohol
Call 911 immediately if someone has signs of a possible overdose, including:
- Being unconscious, difficult to wake or unable to stay conscious.
- A seizure or severe confusion.
- Slow, irregular or difficult breathing.
- Blue or very pale skin, unusually cold or clammy skin, or vomiting while very drowsy.
You do not need to see every warning sign before calling. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism explains that blood alcohol levels can continue rising after drinking stops, even when someone is unconscious. Letting them “sleep it off” can be dangerous.[2]
How to Help in a Marijuana or Alcohol Emergency
While waiting for medical help, take these steps:
- Stay with the person. An intoxicated person can fall or choke. Follow the emergency dispatcher’s instructions.
- Help prevent choking. If the person is awake and vomiting, help them lean forward. If they are unconscious or lying down, roll them onto one side with an ear toward the ground.
- Tell responders what you know. Include the alcohol, cannabis products and other drugs or medications used, approximately how much, and when.
- Do not rely on sobering-up tricks. Coffee, cold showers and walking do not reverse alcohol overdose and can make the situation worse.
These steps support someone while help arrives. They do not replace medical assessment or treatment for suspected alcohol poisoning.[2]
Crossfaded Symptoms and Effects
Alcohol and cannabis can both interfere with skills you need to stay safe. Cannabis can slow reactions and decision-making, impair coordination and distort perception. Alcohol also affects coordination, judgment and impulse control. Combining them is likely to increase impairment rather than balance their effects out.[3][2]
| Affected skill | What it can mean |
|---|---|
| Judgment | Underestimating how impaired you are, deciding to drive or using more than you intended. |
| Balance and coordination | Difficulty moving safely on stairs or around obstacles, increasing the chance of a fall. |
| Reactions and decisions | Taking longer to respond when traffic stops or another person steps into your path. |
| Perception and attention | Misreading a situation or having trouble managing the information needed for a complex task such as driving. |
These are practical examples, not a test of whether someone is safe. The degree of impairment varies with the products, amounts and person. Familiarity with either substance does not establish that combining them will be predictable.
What Does Greening Out Mean?
Greening out is an informal term for an unpleasant cannabis reaction, such as nausea, dizziness, anxiety or a racing heart. It is not a diagnosis and does not identify the cause or severity of every symptom. Too much cannabis can also cause severe confusion, panic, hallucinations or vomiting.[1]
A bad cannabis reaction can happen without alcohol. When alcohol is also involved, symptoms should not automatically be blamed on cannabis. A fatal overdose from cannabis alone is unlikely, but that does not rule out alcohol poisoning, another drug interaction or a serious injury.
Why Are Edibles and THC Drinks Less Predictable?
Edibles and THC-infused drinks can have delayed effects, making it easy to take more before the first amount has fully affected you. The CDC says intoxicating effects can take 30 minutes to 2 hours to appear and may last longer than expected; this range describes a poisoning risk, not a safe redosing or driving schedule.[4]
For example, someone might eat a cannabis gummy, feel little effect and continue drinking. When the edible’s effects develop, both substances may be affecting them. Taking another gummy because the first one “did nothing” adds another uncertain amount. The same concern applies to THC beverages, including those that contain no alcohol themselves.
Several factors change the experience:
- THC amount and potency. A stronger product can deliver more THC in a small amount. The CDC cautions that edible strength can be unknown or inaccurately labeled.
- How cannabis is used. Eating or drinking cannabis has different timing and poisoning risks from inhaling it. Smoking or vaping does not make combining it with alcohol safe.
- Alcohol amount and drinking speed. Drinking more or drinking quickly can increase alcohol impairment and overdose risk.
- Individual factors. Previous cannabis experience, frequency of use, biology, food intake, medications and other substances can affect the response.
The CDC specifically identifies alcohol and medications as factors that can affect how long edible intoxication lasts. A previous experience with the same type of product is not a reliable prediction of the next one.[4][1]
Does Changing the Order or Waiting Make Mixing Marijuana and Alcohol Safe?
Neither “weed before alcohol” nor “alcohol before weed” is a safety rule. Changing the order does not establish that their effects will not overlap. The CDC recommends not drinking alcohol while using other drugs, including cannabis.[5]
Waiting a fixed number of hours also cannot guarantee safety for everyone. The amount used, product strength, route, delayed effects and individual response all matter. This does not mean timing has no effect. It means that an order-of-use trick or a universal waiting period cannot reliably prevent combined impairment.
Does a Marijuana High Wearing Off Mean You Can Drive?
No. Feeling less high is not proof that your judgment, coordination and reactions are ready for driving, especially when alcohol is also involved. The CDC notes that it is difficult to connect a person’s THC concentration with their individual driving impairment. Neither a subjective feeling nor a THC number alone establishes driving fitness.[3]
If you intend to drive, the safest choice is not to use alcohol or cannabis. If you already mixed them, do not drive. Arrange a ride with someone who has used neither, a taxi or a rideshare. Make that plan before using whenever possible, rather than asking your impaired judgment to decide later.
Marijuana and Alcohol During Pregnancy
The CDC recommends avoiding alcohol and cannabis during pregnancy. There is no known safe amount or safe time for alcohol use during pregnancy, including before someone knows they are pregnant. Alcohol exposure before birth can cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, and beer and wine are not safer exceptions.[6]
THC can pass to the developing baby, and the CDC recommends that pregnant people not use cannabis. Switching from smoking to edibles or THC drinks does not remove this concern. Research is still developing, but uncertainty about the exact effects is not evidence that cannabis is safe during pregnancy.[7]
If you used either or both, including before knowing you were pregnant, contact a prenatal clinician promptly. Explain what you used, approximately how much and when. You deserve care without shame. A clinician can review the exposure, discuss symptoms you were trying to manage and help you avoid further use. Exposure alone cannot predict an individual pregnancy’s outcome.
If you have been drinking heavily for a prolonged period, tell the clinician that too. Suddenly stopping can cause dangerous withdrawal. Seek medical help to plan stopping safely rather than attempting withdrawal on your own.[8]
When Should You Seek Help for Marijuana or Alcohol Addiction?
Talk with a clinician when alcohol, cannabis or their combination repeatedly causes problems, or when changing your use is harder than you expected. You do not need to wait for an emergency. One episode of mixing does not establish a substance use disorder, but recurring patterns deserve assessment.
- Using more than you intended or repeatedly failing to cut back.
- Needing more cannabis to get the same effect, having cravings or spending substantial time using it.
- Missing responsibilities or giving up activities because of substance use.
- Continuing despite physical symptoms, anxiety or problems at home, school or work.
- Driving after use or repeatedly experiencing unsafe situations, blackouts or bad reactions.
The CDC identifies loss of control, continued use despite problems and high-risk use as reasons to consider assessment for cannabis use disorder. A clinician can discuss both cannabis and alcohol, rather than assuming only one needs attention.[1]
If combining them repeatedly leads you to drink more, mention that specifically. It is a useful pattern to address, not proof that cannabis makes everyone drink more. For related concerns, read about alcohol use disorder, binge drinking and marijuana addiction.
Discuss Marijuana, Alcohol and Your Medications
Tell your clinician or pharmacist about cannabis, alcohol, prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines. Cannabis can change how prescription drugs work. Alcohol can also interact dangerously with medications. Opioids, sleep medicines and anti-anxiety sedatives are especially important to disclose because combining them with alcohol can suppress breathing and increase overdose risk.[1][2]
What to Bring to an Appointment About Marijuana and Alcohol
Bring details that can help your clinician assess your use:
- Your use pattern: how much and how often you drink, what cannabis products you use, their labeled THC strength if known, and when the effects overlap.
- What has happened: nausea, panic, memory gaps, injuries, problems with responsibilities or difficulty cutting back.
- Your medication list: prescriptions, sleep aids, allergy medicines and other over-the-counter products.
- Your goals and history: what you want to change, prior attempts and any symptoms after reducing or stopping alcohol.
You could start with: “I use cannabis and drink alcohol, sometimes together. These are my medications. Could they interact, and what support would help me change my use safely?” This is a conversation starter, not a diagnostic checklist. The clinician can assess substance use, review interactions and decide whether withdrawal monitoring or other treatment is appropriate.
Plan Before Stopping Alcohol After Prolonged Heavy Drinking
If you have been drinking heavily for a prolonged period, seek medical help before abruptly stopping. Alcohol withdrawal can be life-threatening, including causing seizures. Medical assessment and medication can make withdrawal safer and less distressing. The right setting depends on your needs, not simply whether cannabis is also involved.[8]
Learn about medically supported withdrawal in the alcohol detox guide. Counseling and continued follow-up can also help address drinking patterns beyond the immediate withdrawal period.
You can ask for help with both substances. A primary care clinician can help assess your use and discuss next steps. Explore care options in the addiction treatment guide, and use the treatment centers directory to explore providers.
Ask each provider about services for alcohol and cannabis use, withdrawal care if needed, availability and costs or insurance. A directory listing does not confirm those details.
Frequently Asked Questions About Marijuana and Alcohol
What Does It Mean to Be Crossfaded?
Crossfaded is an informal description of feeling drunk and high at the same time. It is not a diagnosis or a reliable measure of impairment. Alcohol and cannabis are likely to cause greater impairment together than either alone, even if someone feels familiar with both substances.[1]
Why Can Edibles and Alcohol Catch You Off Guard?
Someone may drink more or take more cannabis before feeling the first amount from an edible or THC drink. Effects can last longer than expected, and product strength may be uncertain. Edibles and THC drinks can take 30 minutes to 2 hours to produce intoxicating effects; this onset range is not a safe redosing or driving schedule.[4]
Is It Safer to Use Weed Before Alcohol or Wait a Few Hours?
Neither changing the order nor waiting a fixed number of hours guarantees safety. Effects can overlap, and timing varies with the amount, route, product strength and person. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends not drinking alcohol while using other drugs, including cannabis.[5]
Can I Drive Once the High Wears Off?
Feeling less high does not prove that your driving skills have recovered, especially if alcohol is also affecting you. THC concentration is also difficult to relate to an individual’s driving impairment. If you have mixed alcohol and cannabis, do not drive. Arrange transportation with someone who has used neither, a taxi or a rideshare.[3]
When Is a Bad Reaction More Than Just Greening Out?
Greening out is informal language, not a diagnosis that rules out an emergency. Call 911 if someone is hard to wake, cannot stay conscious, has a seizure or has slow, irregular or difficult breathing. Do not leave them alone or assume they can sleep it off.[2]
For a bad reaction or uncertainty without emergency signs, contact U.S. Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Do not use more alcohol or cannabis, and do not drive.[1]
What If I Used Marijuana and Alcohol Before Knowing I Was Pregnant?
Contact a prenatal clinician and explain what you used, how much and when. Past exposure alone does not predict an individual outcome. There is no known safe amount or time for alcohol during pregnancy, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends avoiding cannabis during pregnancy.[6][7]
If you have been drinking heavily for a prolonged period, seek medical help to stop safely. Abruptly stopping can cause dangerous withdrawal, so tell your prenatal clinician about your drinking pattern promptly.[8]
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