When it comes to taking multiple substances together, such as Xanax and pot, is it safe to mix drugs in your body? Sometimes people accidentally combine substances, while other times they intentionally take them together to produce a stronger effect. However, mixing pot and Xanax
can definitely be dangerous. If you combine two powerful substances that don’t interact well, you put yourself at risk of serious or permanent damage. Here is what you need to know about combining Xanax and pot and what symptoms to watch for.
What Is Xanax?
Xanax is a popular medication that is prescribed to treat anxiety disorders, panic attacks, and insomnia. Additionally, it may be used to treat depression or premenstrual syndrome. Notably, Xanax is the brand name for alprazolam. As a benzodiazepine, Xanax is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant. This means the medication calms and slows your system, which is how anxiety and other hyperactivity in your brain are reduced. To further elaborate, Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in your CNS. It blocks nerve signals to reduce excitement in the amygdala, which is responsible for emotional processing. How does this relate to Xanax? Alprazolam increases the efficiency of your GABA receptors, so you experience the calming results.
Benzodiazepines like Xanax are typically first-response medications that are effective at reducing symptoms in many cases. Yet, Xanax use has to be closely monitored because benzodiazepines do have a high risk of addiction. In fact, Xanax and other benzo medications are Schedule IV Controlled Substances. This means they have legal limitations on their use according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). If you receive your Xanax through a doctor’s prescription, you are using it correctly. However, once you have your medication, it’s important to follow the exact instructions as prescribed. Deviating from your prescription is Xanax misuse, which can lead to dependency and overdose.
What Are the Dangers of Xanax Abuse?
Benzodiazepine abuse is a prevalent issue due to how desirable a calming and relaxing effect is on the body. With stress levels at a high for people of all generations, it can be tempting to fall into the trap of misusing your Xanax prescription. Notably, people misuse prescribed benzodiazepines and also source Xanax through black market channels. It is an in-demand substance, yet there are many dangers of abusing the drug that people aren’t aware of. Without a doubt, any prescription medication is a potent formula that can do serious damage to your brain and body.
Sometimes, Xanax abuse looks like a slow increase of your dose as you form tolerance to each increase. The likelihood is that you will end up dependent on a greater amount of Xanax than you need. You won’t be able to function well without it. Other times, people use Xanax with the purpose of placing themselves in a drowsy state. Because benzodiazepines slow the system, people often abuse them to self-medicate their feelings by dissociating. Both methods of use—unintentional and intentional abuse—are dangerous.
The risks include addiction, overdose, or death. If you take too much Xanax, you can place your body into a comatose state. During an overdose, your heart will slow down too much to properly pump blood through your body. As a result, your breathing will grow shallow and might stop entirely. Additionally, there are further risks of mixing Xanax with other substances.
What Is Pot?
Pot is a street name for marijuana, which is a product of cannabis. There are various names associated with cannabis, so let’s clarify them. Cannabis refers to the cannabis sativa plant, from which all related products originate. It can be used interchangeably to refer to different parts of the plant. Some parts contain THC while others don’t. Notably, THC is a psychoactive ingredient that allows people to experience a high. Marijuana is a cannabis product that contains THC. Thus, it is what people intake through smoking, vaping, or eating edibles. Markedly, weed and pot are both slang terms for marijuana.
Marijuana has differing legality according to the country and even the state in the U.S. In some places, both cannabis (non-THC) and marijuana are completely legal, while in others, they are illegal and/or criminalized. Why is marijuana so controversial? It’s due to the intense effects it produces in the body and the addiction risk.
Is Marijuana Addictive?
Although not everyone understands the risks of marijuana, the drug is indeed highly addictive. To clarify, cannabis-only products that do not contain THC are not addictive, which is why their legal state differs. Cannabis and hemp are used in skincare, alternative health, and food. But marijuana contains THC, which means it has a definite addiction potential.
An estimated 1 in 10 people who use cannabis will develop an addiction, but 1 in 3 will experience problems due to the drug. Of course, the risk of dependency increases if you are a chronic user, according to how much and how often you smoke weed. Additionally, youth and young adults who are still undergoing brain development are more likely to become addicted to marijuana if they start using it. Plus, long-term marijuana use has been shown to lead to brain changes, altering your normal healthy functioning. If you develop a cannabis use disorder (CUD), you will be reliant on marijuana to get through each day. Plus, any additional substances you take could have adverse interactions in your body.
What Happens When People Mix Xanax and Pot?
Although Xanax and marijuana work on the body in different ways, they both produce a calming effect. If you start taking Xanax and smoking weed, the two drugs can combine forces to put your body into a dangerous, slowed state. And because people can use both Xanax and weed to reduce feelings of anxiety, you might think they’d work well together to eradicate stress and worry. However, mixing the two can actually confuse your system and heighten your anxiety symptoms.
You might experience any of the following results from mixing Xanax and weed:
- Increased anxiety or panic
- Paranoia
- Extreme sedation (even loss of consciousness)
- Loss of cognitive function (like challenges with concentration or memory)
- Overdose
It is never safe to combine multiple potent substances, as you don’t know what effects they’ll have on your body. Even if you’re able to handle the combination of Xanax and pot, you can end up raising your tolerance. Then, you will need to keep taking more to get the same results, which increases your risk of overdose.
Why Do People Use Pot and Xanax Together?
The reasons why anyone mixes substances depend on their situation. For example, some people have reached a point in their drug addiction where their tolerance is high. Thus, they feel the need to add other substances to keep satisfying their cravings (which is a symptom of addiction). They might try adding new drugs to their addiction to feel the intensity of the effects.
Yet, in other cases, people mix substances accidentally or without realizing the danger of adverse reactions. For example, if you have a Xanax prescription for anxiety, you might not realize it’s unsafe to smoke weed. Even if you only use marijuana once while on anxiety meds, you can place yourself at risk. It’s important to be mindful of any substances when you’re on a prescription medication for a disorder. Even Xanax and alcohol can be a threatening combination.
What Are the Long-Term Risks of Xanax and Pot?
If you regularly engage in Xanax and weed abuse, your risks of overdose continue to increase with time. This is because your tolerance will raise so you have to keep upping your dose. You never know what your system can handle and experimenting with drugs is not a safe way to find out. The long-term risks of mixing Xanax and pot encompass the long-term risks of both benzodiazepine abuse and marijuana abuse. These include brain impairment, mental health symptoms, changes to your personality, stroke, and heart attack.
You can avoid the risks associated with polysubstance abuse if you take the steps to become sober. Although it’s not always an easy road, having professional help for your addiction makes the process smoother and safer.
Professional Drug Addiction Treatment Near Me
If you struggle with the desire to mix Xanax and pot for greater results, please consider our drug addiction rehab. We can help you explore the issues leading you to try to self-medicate with these two substances. The first step of programming at Cascade Heights is creating a customized service plan. Perhaps you need a prescription anxiety medication that can help you manage your symptoms in a healthy way. We will consider your needs and goals in your rehab programming so you find the relief you’re longing for. Further, through traditional and holistic therapies, we’ll help you develop better coping mechanisms that support you, not pull you down.
The dangers of mixing Xanax (alprazolam) and weed cannot be understated. Our recovery center can help with substance abuse and more. To learn more about the services we offer and how you fit into our addiction treatment, please call us today. Our treatment center can help with alcohol addiction, cocaine addiction, opioid addiction, heroin addiction, meth addiction and more.
- Benzodiazepines – National Library of Medicine
- Drugs (Psychoactive): Cannabidiol (Compound of Cannabis) – World Health Organization
- Is Cannabis Addictive? – Government of Canada
- Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines: A Comprehensive Update of Evidence and Recommendations – National Library of Medicine
- The Controlled Substances Act – DEA.gov
- Who Becomes Cannabis Dependent Soon After Onset of Use? Epidemiological Evidence from the United States: 2000-2001
