Mixing MDMA And Weed (Marijuana) | Effects & Dangers

So called “soft” drugs like marijuana and ecstasy are generally less habit-forming (addictive) than “hard” drugs like methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin. 

But this doesn’t mean these psychoactive drugs won’t cause physical or mental harm. Mixing MDMA and marijuana may increase the potential risks each substance poses.

Mixing Marijuana & Ecstasy 

Marijuana and ecstasy are both relatively common substances of abuse among young people, especially in certain scenes like music festivals and raves. 

Because they have reputations as low-risk ways to get high, it’s fairly common for both drugs to be sampled together. 

In addition, some recreational users take these two substances together habitually in order to increase or change their high, or mellow their comedown symptoms.

In either case, this pattern of drug use is considered polydrug abuse, a form of drug abuse with a significantly increased potential for serious or even deadly short- and long-term effects.

Effects Of Marijuana

Marijuana, also called cannabis, is made up of dried leaves, stems, and seeds from the hemp plant (cannabis Sativa, Indica, or Ruderalis). It contains the naturally occurring cannabinoids delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). 

These substances each have a number of effects on the human body. CBD increases relaxation and decreases pain, while THC causes psychoactive effects including:

• euphoria
• altered senses
• altered sense of time
• changes in mood
• impaired body movement
• impaired thinking and problem-solving
• impaired memory

In high or frequent long-term doses, side effects of marijuana use can also include:

• hallucinations
• delusions
• depression
• paranoia
• anxiety
• psychosis
• sexual dysfunction
• anhedonia, an inability to feel pleasure
• cognitive impairment

Effects Of Ecstasy

3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, also called Ecstasy, MDMA, or Molly, is a man-made amphetamine drug with properties of both hallucinogens and stimulants. 

This means that MDMA tends to increase a person’s energy while also distorting the way they see or experience reality. 

This illicit drug increases the activity of the neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin in the brain, which causes a wide range of effects dealing with pleasure, mood, heart rate, blood pressure, and sexual arousal. 

As a result, common side effects of MDMA use include:

• impulsiveness
• energy
• feelings of well-being and connectedness
• extroversion
• increased sensory stimulation or sensory hallucinations 
• blurred vision
• increased body temperature
• high blood pressure
• panic attacks
• organ damage caused by overheating and oxidative stress

Come-down effects after ecstasy use may include:

• mood changes
• depression
• insomnia
• paranoia
• decreased libido or interest in sexual activity
• memory issues

In many cases, MDMA users who are denied access to water or exposed to high temperatures have suffered heat stroke, seizures, and other adverse effects that can, unfortunately, be lethal without immediate medical intervention.

Dangers Of Mixing Ecstasy & Marijuana

Polydrug use is unpredictable. 

While these substances work in different ways, both MDMA and cannabis use have potent effects on perception and can cause serious and lasting changes to mental health, especially when used recklessly or chronically.

Reported side effects of combination cannabis/MDMA substance use, at various concentrations, have included:

• severe mental impairment 
• psychosis, including extreme paranoia, hallucinations, and inability to perceive or interact with reality
• fluctuating body temperature and heart rate
• weakened immune system
• increased risk of schizophrenia and other mental health disorders
• lasting deficits in learning, speech, and memory

Alternatively, some researchers have suggested that cannabis may, to a certain degree, reduce the neurotoxicity and other harms of MDMA, as cannabis can act as an anti-inflammatory, limit the oxidative stress of MDMA use, and even reduce body temperature to limit the risk of overheating. 

These benefits are unproven, however, and more research is needed to fully understand the complex interactions between these two very different drugs.

Risks Of Polydrug Abuse

Recreational ecstasy tablets are often counterfeited and adulterated with a wide range of other substances ranging from benign or toxic fillers to drugs ecstasy users would not likely take. 

These other substances can include MDXX, amphetamine, piperazine, ketamine, methamphetamine, DXM, caffeine, bath salts, or even fentanyl or other opioid painkillers. 

The wide-range of effects that these other substances can have on the body and mind only increases the risks that polydrug users expose themselves to. 

The same is true of any polydrug abuse that involves alcohol use, as alcohol is widely abused by adolescents and young adults. Alcohol can interact with and enhance the effects and risks of a wide range of other drugs of abuse.

If you or a loved one struggles with substance abuse, please contact us today to learn about our treatment options.