{"id":28073,"date":"2021-03-20T21:16:45","date_gmt":"2021-03-20T21:16:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailycbd.com\/en\/?p=28073"},"modified":"2021-09-04T22:08:22","modified_gmt":"2021-09-04T22:08:22","slug":"cannabis-and-psychedelics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailycbd.com\/en\/cannabis-and-psychedelics\/","title":{"rendered":"Can I Mix Cannabis With Psychedelics? Risks vs. Benefits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Summary: What You Should Know Before Mixing Cannabis With Psychedelics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
  1. The effects are unpredictable \u2014<\/strong> proceed with caution at your own risk.<\/li>
  2. Only people experienced with both substances should consider it \u2014<\/strong> only those who have used and understand both substances individually should even consider mixing them.<\/li>
  3. Timing matters \u2014<\/strong> as I\u2019ll point out below, the point in which you take the cannabis in relation to the psychedelics can make a big difference depending on what your goal is for the combination.<\/li>
  4. Hemp & marijuana are very different \u2014<\/strong> marijuana tends to make the trip more intense, but hemp has a more relaxing effect.<\/li>
  5. Start low & go slow \u2014<\/strong> it\u2019s wise to use cannabis slowly, giving it time to kick in before taking more. You can always add more, but you can\u2019t take it away.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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    Is Cannabis a Psychedelic?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The word psychedelic means “mind manifesting.” Colloquially, the term refers to substances that produce changes in sensory perception. They may produce full-fledged hallucinations and alternate realities \u2014 or they may cause objects in the environment to appear to move and merge together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Most people who have used both a psychedelic like magic mushrooms or LSD and marijuana will agree cannabis isn\u2019t particularly psychedelic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It doesn’t produce hallucinations or induces ego-death \u2014 something many consider to be the climax of the psychedelic experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    However, there\u2019s a surprising amount of overlap with cannabinoids<\/a> and psychedelics in terms of their mechanism of action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In fact, very high doses of the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana \u2014 THC (tetrahydrocannabinol)<\/a> \u2014 can produce visual and auditory distortions similar to LSD or psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How Do Psychedelics Work?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    There are a surprising number of psychedelic compounds \u2014 both natural and synthetic. However, most of them work through more or less the same mechanics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Most of the classical psychedelics, like LSD, mescaline, DMT, and magic mushrooms, work by activating the 5HT2A serotonin receptors, often referred to as the psychedelic receptor<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    These receptors are located throughout the brain but are especially abundant in the cortex [7<\/a>] \u2014\u00a0which is the largest and outermost layer of the brain. It’s responsible for all high-level executive functioning, including perception, memory, saliency, imagination, and voluntary physical action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Activation of this receptor can also produce changes in other cognitive processes, such as the default mode network (DMN). The DMN is an interconnected network of brain regions that drive our underlying thought processes and rumination. It’s thought to be the physical source of our “ego.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When we take psychedelics, the DMN becomes less active, which is thought to be the cause of what many consider “ego-dissolution”, which can be a life-changing experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A Quick Overview of Common Psychedelics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Before we get too much further, let’s briefly go over some of the most popular psychedelics people are combining cannabis with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    1. LSD<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    LSD stands for lysergic acid diethylamide. It\u2019s one of the most potent psychedelics in the world \u2014 producing strong hallucinations at sub-milligram doses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    To put this into context, the psychoactive dose of THC usually starts around 10 mg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Like most psychedelics, LSD has a very gentle impact on the body \u2014 physically, at least. There has never been a reported overdose on this drug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    However, the psychological effects can be huge. Most people who use LSD consider it to be one of the most impactful experiences of their life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    2. Magic Mushrooms<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    The active ingredients in magic mushrooms are psilocybin and psilocin. There are hundreds of different species of mushrooms that contain these ingredients, but the largest and most common group, by far, is the Psilocybe<\/em> genus.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Magic mushrooms are usually psychoactive at doses of around 2 grams or more. The effects are very similar to LSD but tend to produce a stronger body load<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    3. DMT<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    DMT stands for dimethyltryptamine. There are many different kinds of DMT, but the most common are 5-MeO-DMT (found in the Bufo alvarius <\/em>toad as well as in synthetic form), and N,N-DMT \u2014 which is the active ingredient in the psychoactive brew from the Amazon rainforest known as ayahuasca.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The effects of DMT are very short-lived. The entire experience lasts just 20 or 30 minutes when smoked. Ayahuasca is the only exception, which can last several hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    4. Mescaline<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Mescaline is the active ingredient in Peyote or San Pedro cactus. It’s very similar to both LSD and magic mushrooms but with more stimulating action behind it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Many other synthetic psychedelics have been made using mescaline as a base, such as 2C-B, 2C-C, and DOM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    5. Ketamine<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Ketamine is considered a “dirty drug.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    While this sounds bad, it doesn\u2019t mean what you think it means.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A dirty drug is a term that refers to substances that don’t target one specific receptor \u2014 rather, they activate many different receptors to produce the combined effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    One of the many receptors ketamine activates is the CB1 endocannabinoid receptors<\/a>. This is thought to be the primary mechanisms involved in the painkilling activity of this substance [6].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Cannabinoids may potentiate (make stronger) the painkilling effects of ketamine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Cannabis & The Psychedelic Receptors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Many of the cannabinoids in hemp and marijuana plants also interact with the psychedelic receptors \u2014 though in a different context than psychedelic substances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Most cannabinoids work by activating or otherwise modulating the endocannabinoid system (ECS)<\/a> \u2014 which is a series of receptors and neurotransmitters tasked with regulating homeostasis (balance).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Interestingly, the ECS is intimately linked with the serotonin system. When compounds interact with one of these systems, they indirectly affect the other one too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Both the serotonin system and the endocannabinoid system are heavily involved with homeostasis and the regulation of mood, hunger, sleep, cognition, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A study published in 2015 discovered that one of the ECS receptor types (CB1) forms heteromer complexes<\/a> with the 5HT2A receptors [2]. This means they sometimes merge together into one \u201csuper-receptor\u201d that can do things neither receptor can on their own. These heteromer complexes have binding sites that both 5HT2A receptor agonists (like LSD) and CB1 receptor agonists (like THC) can both bind to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It\u2019s thought that THC\u2019s ability to bind to the CB1 portion activates these combination receptors \u2014 causing effects that are similar<\/em> to the effects of other psychedelics like LSD or magic mushrooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Other studies have found these CB1\/5HT2A heteromer complexes<\/a> mediate both the positive painkilling benefits of THC, as well as THC\u2019s amnesiac (memory-loss) effects [3].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Other cannabinoids have been shown to upregulate or enhance serotonin activity at the 5HT2A receptors<\/a> in the prefrontal cortex [4].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This relationship works both ways. One study found that an increase in 5HT2A activity stimulated the release of endocannabinoids<\/a> [5].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The relationship between the 5HT2A psychedelic receptors and the endocannabinoid system is considered to be one of the primary mechanisms for the antidepressant effects of psychedelics like LSD or magic mushrooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Cannabinoids & Other Serotonin Receptors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    There’s more than one type of serotonin receptor. While the 5HT2A type is thought to be the primary agent responsible for the psychedelic effects, there are also several others that can influence things like mood, hunger, aggression, anxiety, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Studies have found that anandamide, one of the body\u2019s primary endocannabinoids, activates the 5HT1A serotonin receptors. CBD has a very similar shape and function as anandamide and will also bind to this serotonin receptor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Interestingly, CBDA (the non-decarboxylated version) has a stronger binding affinity for the 5HT1A receptors than the decarboxylated form. It\u2019s thought that this effect is the reason why raw, unheated CBD products offer the greatest anti-nausea support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The activation of the 5-HT1A receptor<\/a> by CBD has been shown to lead to a decrease in blood pressure, reduced body temperature, lower heart rate, and less pain [1].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Mixing Cannabis & Psychedelics: Benefits, Risks, & Research<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    It\u2019s common practice for people to mix cannabis products with their psychedelics. Some people claim it helps mellow out the experience and ward off \u201cbad trips\u201d \u2014 others swear against it, stating the combination was scary and terrifying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So which is true? Should cannabis and psychedelics be taken together?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The answer is, unfortunately, \u201cit depends:\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n