Drugs you don’t want to mix with marijuana

Marijuana is considered a relatively safe drug, and over time, medical professionals are finding more and more uses as medicine. From helping people with multiple sclerosis to an FDA-approved drug derived from cannabis to treat epilepsy, cannabis is gaining traction and firmly entrenching itself in the medical community.

However, as with almost every substance we put into our bodies, there are certain drugs that don’t mix well with marijuana. Additionally, while marijuana can often have desirable effects, these effects can sometimes be severe in certain medical conditions.

Testing and research is limited because marijuana is still illegal at the federal level. However, here is a list of drugs and conditions that are currently believed to have adverse effects when mixed with cannabis.

opioids and tranquilizers

Opioids and tranquilizers have their own risks, even when not combined with other substances. However, when combined with marijuana, their effects can be amplified and enhanced, which can be dangerous for those combining these substances.

“The most well-known effects of marijuana are those of opioids (for pain), sleeping pills, muscle relaxants and alcohol, as all affect the central nervous system,” it says Salem healththe also mentions that marijuana, when used in conjunction with sedatives and hypnotics, can be addictive.

RELATED: Is Mixing Cannabis and Prescription Drugs a Good Idea?

It’s important to be open and honest with your doctor if you’re prescribed opioids or tranquilizers, but also plan to use marijuana for recreational or medicinal purposes. At the very least, your doctor may prefer some medications to others, or suggest a dosage that won’t endanger your health.

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blood thinner

Marijuana and blood thinners are another potentially dangerous combination. Marijuana can cause blood thinners to work overly well, which can have dangerous consequences. “Marijuana can increase the blood thinner warfarin in the body, which can lead to excessive bleeding,” corresponding NBC News. Marijuana combined with certain blood thinners can thin your blood to dangerous levels, so it’s imperative that you know whether or not the blood thinning medications you’re taking could be affected by marijuana use.

Otherwise, even if the drugs don’t cause serious side effects like excessive bleeding, they can alter the effectiveness of the drugs. “Consuming marijuana while taking a statin or a blood thinner can change how these drugs work in the body,” said lead author Dr. Muthiah Vaduganathan, a cardiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. said NBC News.

Anxiety or depression medications (SSRIs and benzodiazepines)

Another group of drugs that can have negative and even dangerous consequences when mixed with marijuana are drugs used to treat anxiety and depression. More specifically, SSRIs (like Cipralex or Prozac) and also benzodiazepines (like Xanax or Valium) can both have adverse effects when mixed with marijuana.

RELATED: What Happens When You Combine Cannabis and Adderall?

One reason mixing these drugs with marijuana is a bad idea is that both types of drugs are mood-altering. “The challenge for people with mood disorders or depression is that every time they use cannabis, they take some Another psychoactive drug,” Dr. Timothy Brennan, director of the Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai West and Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Hospital, said Women’s Health. “And that can make it very difficult for a patient or doctor to figure out which drug is actually working on what,” Brennan continued.

This also means that marijuana can potentially negate the beneficial effects of these mood and anxiety medications.

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tamoxifen

While medical marijuana is often prescribed for cancer patients undergoing treatment, a specific drug should never be taken with marijuana. Tamoxifen, a drug used to fight breast cancer, can negate its benefits when combined with marijuana. “If pot interferes with the processing of tamoxifen, it could result in the breast cancer patient getting little to no benefit from the drug,” says Philip Lazarus, a professor of pharmaceutical sciences at Washington State University. said WebMD. This should be a sobering reminder to always consult your doctor about your cannabis use if you are taking any life-saving or essential medication.

Continued challenges with a lack of research

While the drugs listed above may be dangerous or pose risks when mixed with marijuana, more research needs to be done. Unfortunately, although (as we have reported) In this country today, more people smoke marijuana than cigarettes, but there have been limited studies on how drugs interact with marijuana.

“Even though many people use marijuana, strict government restrictions limit researchers’ ability to study cannabis, as approved drugs are typically studied, including evaluating whether it is safe to take with medication.” according to US news. This is a strong argument as to why there needs to be a marijuana reclassification. Removing marijuana from the Schedule I drug list would allow for significantly more research into the substance and improve our understanding of how it interacts with other substances in our bodies.