What Is Crossfading Or Cross-Faded? | Dangers Of Being Drunk & High
When a person is cross-faded, they experience overlapping effects from being drunk and high. This is also known as crossfade.
The term “crossfading” is not to be confused with the smooth transition technique used in audio engineering to fade out certain audio and other playback options. This crossfading includes combining cannabis and alcohol to experience the different effects.
This type of impairment can cause problems with your mental and physical health due to the fact that the active ingredient in alcohol, ethanol, may increase the absorption of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in cannabis.
Likewise, drinking alcohol can affect your blood vessels, absorbing more THC along the way.
Dangers & Effects Of Crossfading
Combining two drugs or substances can result in a number of serious side effects. Cannabis is the most common drug used when drinking alcohol (with the exception of tobacco), according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Crossfading can also be referred to as “greening out,” which is the feeling of dizziness. One can become pale, nauseous, and begin excessively sweating.
Cannabis
The THC in marijuana affects the cannabinoid receptors in the brain. This is how cognitive effects are produced from cannabis.
People can consume cannabis through the use of edibles or may smoke cannabis by using a joint or bong. Smoking excessively can cause problems with lung health.
Some of the other effects of cannabis include:
- lowered inhibitions
- distorted sense of time
- impaired judgment
- dizziness
- headaches
- fatigue
- drowsiness
- increased heart rate
- nausea
- increased appetite
When cannabis is combined with other substances, you may experience a wide range of mild to serious symptoms. The combination of alcohol and cannabis can lead to a number of anxiety problems, including paranoia and panic attacks.
Alcohol
While cannabis targets the cannabinoid receptors in the brain, alcohol targets a person’s central nervous system and can affect motor skills as well.
Alcohol can be dangerous, especially for those partaking in heavy drinking or binge drinking. Some of the dangers of alcohol include:
- high blood pressure
- heart disease
- pancreatitis
- weakened immune system
- cirrhosis of the liver
- heart attack
- stroke
In addition to this, you may also experience:
- black outs
- motor vehicle accidents
- violence
- accidental drownings or falls
- alcohol poisoning
Combining these effects with cannabis can cause you to experience heightened inebriation. Not only will you lose even more motor functions, but you’ll also be more cognitively impaired, which can lead to mental health concerns.
Inability To Vomit
Those who use cannabis and alcohol together may experience unpleasant feelings and physical problems. Cannabis has an antiemetic effect, causing an inability to vomit.
Because of this, those who drink alcohol and take cannabis may consume an excessive amount of alcohol without fully realizing the effects of alcohol on your body. For many, drinking too much alcohol results in vomiting. This is a clear sign that you have imbibed too much ethanol.
Since cannabis can inhibit the ability to vomit, people can become more susceptible to alcohol poisoning or even potential blackouts due to high toxicity levels of alcohol in the body.
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Written by Ark Behavioral Health Editorial Team
©2024 Ark National Holdings, LLC. | All Rights Reserved.
This page does not provide medical advice.
National Library of Medicine: PubMed - Cross-faded: Young Adults’ Language of Being Simultaneously Drunk and High
National Library of Medicine: PubMed - Cross-Fading Motives for Simultaneous Alcohol and Marijuana Use: Associations with Young Adults’ Use and Consequences across Days
National Library of Medicine: PubMed - Daily patterns of marijuana and alcohol co-use among individuals with alcohol and cannabis use disorders
National Library of Medicine: PubMed - Simultaneous vs. concurrent use of alcohol and cannabis in the National Alcohol Survey
National Library of Medicine: PubMed - Tolerance and cross-tolerance to neurocognitive effects of THC and alcohol in heavy cannabis users
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