This effect makes ecstasy appealing for clubs and parties; users have more momentum to keep the party going without feeling tired or worn out. In high doses, ecstasy can cause less than desirable side effects, like anxiety, paranoia, and episodes of confusion. Unlike marijuana, which is primarily used to relax and unwind in low-key settings, MDMA, also called ecstasy, E, or molly, is a party drug.
Uses, Effects, and How It Works
“When we asked people [in the Global Drug Survey] a few years ago what they thought the most dangerous [drug combination] is, most of them said ketamine and alcohol,” says Winstock. “That is a smart answer, since alcohol hugely increases the bladder problems triggered by ketamine because of the dehydration. Also, it gets you sedated and you lose your balance, which increases the risk of getting into a K-hole.” We did not control for gender in multivariable models as there were very few gender-specific bivariable differences. We did test models controlling for gender (e.g. for sexual dysfunction) and results were nearly identical so to remain consistent we simply present all unadjusted ORs. Multiple testing can increase Type I Error rates, so we applied a Bonferroni correction when we interpreted results. However, Bonferroni corrections are conservative so we also present unadjusted p-values to allow readers to see the impact of adjustment and consider other adjustments less conservative than Bonferroni’s correction.
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Peterson emphasizes that the most important thing to remember is that even if the combination of both feels intense, the safety profile of psychedelics and cannabis are very good and unlikely to cause major issues. Other minor cannabinoids and terpenes in the plant potentially also influence interactions, providing further layers of nuance. However, currently, our understanding about how cannabis interacts with other substances is largely restricted to THC and CBD. drug addiction substance use disorder diagnosis and treatment Because THC and CBD interact with other substances distinctively, it makes more sense to think about how each cannabinoid interacts with a drug, rather than the interactions of cannabis as a whole. Ask cannabis consumers how the plant affects them, and you’ll likely hear an array of responses. Unlike drugs or medications that contain one active chemical, cannabis is composed of more than 550 different chemical compounds, including more than 100 cannabinoids.
Changes in Mood and Brain Function
Moreover, mixing weed and ecstasy may lead to impaired judgment, making it difficult to assess one’s own physical and mental state. First, our analysis used aggregated data at the state-year level, rendering us unable to observe changes in opioid use within individual patients over time or to examine the estimated effects of laws on subgroups of patients. However, our sensitivity analyses indicated that the results were robust to different ways of coding the treatment dates.
The Effects of Ecstasy and Similar Drugs
Drug doses (0.25, 0.5, 1.0 mg/kg THC; 1.25, 2.5, 5.0 mg/kg MDMA) were chosen to represent low, moderate, and high equivalent doses in humans (Boot et al, 2000). Claire Zagorski earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. She has practiced clinically as a paramedic in multiple treatment settings, including as a member of the Austin Harm Reduction Coalition.
How does cannabis interact with stimulants?
A recent single-blind 6-week pilot study assessed the feasibility and tolerability of ketamine in eight participants with CUD. Participants received motivational enhancement therapy and mindfulness-based relapse prevention behavioral treatments in addition to a ketamine infusion of 0.71 mg/kg, with non-responders receiving a second infusion at 1.41 mg/kg. While there was no control group, compared to before treatment participants had a statistically significant reduction in cannabis use following treatment, and improvement in self-reported confidence in resisting the urge to use cannabis. The study additionally demonstrated the feasibility of integrating a psychedelic drug into behavioral treatment targeting CUD (33). Taking marijuana and ecstasy, either alone or in combination, could also increase the risk of certain mood disorders. Marijuana may cause anxiety while the comedown from ecstasy can induce depression.
For example, a few of my survey participants reported using cannabis at the end of a trip to “re-enter reality more softly” and to “ground themselves” or to help them fall asleep after such a stimulating journey. Like everything with cannabis and psychedelics, experiences are completely individual, and can even change due to a person’s context (aka “set and setting”), stress level, diet, and other chemical and biological factors. When I’ve smoked weed while on shrooms, the trip has become a bit weirder or “trippier,” for lack of a better word. I hypothesized that perhaps regular cannabis consuming psychonauts would be able to handle the mix, and those new to either substance should probably just stick to one to avoid getting overwhelmed and making their trip more challenging than it has to be. While many of my survey participants agreed with me (nearly all of whom were regular cannabis consumers), it wasn’t that clear cut. Even daily cannabis consumers who use psychedelics occasionally told me they stopped mixing the two because they’ve experienced increased anxiety, especially smoking weed on the come-up of a psychedelic experience.
MDMA (an abbreviation of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), also called “Molly” or “Ecstasy,” is a lab-made (synthetic) drug that has effects similar to stimulants like methamphetamine. It is typically sold illicitly as colorful tablets with imprinted logos, capsules, powder, or liquid. Some researchers and organizations consider MDMA to be a psychedelic drug because it can also mildly alter visual and time perception. MDMA’s effects may include feeling more energetic and alert and having an increased sense of well-being, warmth, and openness toward others.
As both components of the double Y-maze make equal demands on non-mnemonic variables (eg motor function, motivation, perceptual abilities), it can be confidently concluded that the drug-induced decrease in choice accuracy was due to impaired working memory. In the high-dose experiment (Figure 2c), MDMA alone produced a small decrease and THC alone produced a substantial decrease in response accuracy at all delays. When THC and MDMA were combined, a profound behavioral impairment that prevented the rats from successfully completing either task within the maze was evident, so no data are available for the combined treatment. Locomotor ability per se did not appear to be affected, but rather than moving purposefully through the maze the rats turned in circles, shuttled backwards and forwards, lay down, or rolled onto their backs for some time.
Herein, we review the existing literature pertaining to psychedelic use in persons with or at risk for CUD and consider the potential rationale underpinning psychedelics as a treatment for CUD. For those with symptoms of mood disorders or mental illness, using ecstasy and marijuana in conjunction can worsen side effects. Those who take weed laced with ecstasy can feel more extreme forms of anxiety and depression, which may persist after drugs wear off. Use of this mix of drugs can also reduce the efficacy of prescription medications used to manage mood disorders, leading to unpleasant side effects. Importance While some have argued that cannabis legalization has helped to reduce opioid-related morbidity and mortality in the US, evidence has been mixed. Moreover, existing studies did not account for biases that could arise when policy effects vary over time or across states or when multiple policies are assessed at the same time, as in the case of recreational and medical cannabis legalization.
In parallel, chronic administration of CP 55,940 led to downregulation of CB1 and CB2 receptors, consistent with imaging results in human with chronic cannabis use (58). As described in a retrospective observational study by Cox et al., psychedelics that target 5HT2A receptors appear to reduce the consumption of cannabis (28). Furthermore, when 5HT2A receptors are directly acted upon, they appear to enhance psychological domains noted above, such as insight, self-efficacy, and spirituality, suggesting potential for targeting serotonergic crack cocaine: withdrawal symptoms timeline & detox treatment receptors for CUD treatment (29). Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is prevalent in ~2–5% of adults in the United States and is anticipated to increase as restrictions to cannabis decrease and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content in cannabis products increase. No FDA-approved medications for CUD are currently available, despite trials of dozens of re-purposed and novel drugs. Psychedelics have garnered interest as a therapeutic class in other substance use disorders, and self-report surveys suggest they may result in positive outcomes for CUD.
MDA (3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine) and MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) are synthetic, psychoactive substances belonging to the amphetamine and phenethylamine classes of drugs. All the different factors that can impact your hippie flipping experience should also be considered when anticipating potential side effects. Again, it’s imperative to be intentional with your dosing since most challenging experiences and side effects result from overestimating how much was needed to have a good time. The effects of mushrooms typically last four to six hours from the initial dosing, and MDMA’s duration generally falls between three and six hours. Both magic mushrooms and molly have different onset times as well; it can take up to 30 to 60 minutes to feel the effects of psilocybin mushrooms.
Combine THC with alcohol, for example, and you may get more of a psychoactive kick than you bargained for. Consume CBD with Warfarin, a common blood thinner, and you could risk a range of negative effects. The specific danger of each substance depends on factors such as dosage, purity, individual variability, and the context of use. Despite the exuberance of the current psychedelic era which has launched a rush of scientific, clinical, and financial interest in the ushering of these treatments to the public, their application to specific disorders should be provided forethought and care. In the treatment of CUD, the use of psychedelics may have tremendous potential, and have predictable, and possibly unpredictable, risks.
- Cannabis has also shown promise in helping to treat PTSD and other mental health disorders.
- We did not control for gender in multivariable models as there were very few gender-specific bivariable differences.
- Promising research in the 1950’s through 1970’s showed potential in the therapeutic use of hallucinogens in the treatment of alcohol and opioid dependence, before psychedelic research was largely extinguished until the last decade (27).
- CBD serves almost as a balance for the effects of THC by producing feelings of relaxation and pain reduction.
His substantive research interests include health disparities, particularly in the areas of substance use and infectious disease. Although our Pompano rehab center discourages substance use of any kind, weed is legal in certain areas, and if someone were to use it legally, always encourage safe use. If you’re going to use weed, obtain it from legal and reputable sources, such as licensed dispensaries, where product quality and safety standards are enforced. If you or a loved one are missing marijuana and ecstasy and need help, we are here for you. Our inpatient rehab near Tampa offers several different types of addiction treatment that can get you started on the road to recovery.
More LSD harm reduction tips can be found here, here’s a drug combinations chart from TripSit.Me and Drugs and Me has a “calculator” that gives a general idea how these drugs interact. Speed, cocaine and Adderall energize the nervous system and escalate heart rate. LSD can also increase your heart rate, putting extra strain on your cardiovascular system, which could put you at risk for heart attack or stroke. This may not be an issue at manageable doses, but you may end up doing more of a drug than you intended.
At these doses MDMA or THC given alone had no effect on working memory, but the co-administered drugs significantly disrupted working memory. Experiment 2 (medium doses) examined the effect of 0.5 mg/kg THC and 2.5 mg/kg MDMA given alone or together. Although MDMA alone had no effect, it exacerbated how to recognize the signs of intoxication with pictures the impairment due to THC when the drugs were co-administered. Experiment 3 (high doses) examined the effects of 1 mg/kg THC and 5 mg/kg MDMA alone and together. Both drugs significantly impaired memory when given alone, although the impairment due to MDMA was less than that caused by THC.
For others, usually once the MDMA is already wearing off, the cannabis helps mitigate the “come down” from the energetic high. Regardless, simultaneous use of MDMA and weed is likely to exacerbate racing heartbeat (tachycardia), which is a common side effect of both substances. Regardless, a huge barrier to research on both MDMA and THC (let alone the interactions between them) is that both are controlled substances (DEA Schedule I in the US), which means that they are considered to have no medical value and a high potential for abuse. Another barrier to understanding possible drug interactions is that MDMA works on multiple systems in the body – increasing the chances for additive, synergistic and/or antagonistic interactions when combined with other substances. Exercise caution when using marijuana or MDMA, and start with low doses until you understand your tolerance levels.
At FHE Health, our professional treatment team is prepared to address addiction issues of all kinds, including dependency issues related to marijuana and ecstasy. Mixing MDMA and weed is not advisable due to the potential negative drug interactions. This study followed the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) reporting guidelines. Thus, ethics approval was not required based on Newfoundland and Labrador’s Health Research Ethics Board guidelines.
