Yes, caffeine is a drug, although a very useful one (as is marijuana/THC). Whether you only like one or neither there is a good chances you have tried at least one or the other some point.
What’s interesting is that people will take these two substances at separate times without realizing the potential health benefits to taking both at the same time.
Caffeine is one of the most widely studied drugs on the planet. It gets a bad reputation from “common sense” advice and people who don’t know any better. We’ve all heard something like this:
“Coffee stunts your growth.”
“Coffee makes you too jittery to do work.”
“Coffee makes your body acidic.”
Since there is a bad side to anything taken in too high of an amount, there is SOME truth to these. But numerous studies show the exact opposite as well.
The same is true of cannabis. Quickly catching up to caffeine in terms of research (and most likely usage too), the THC in cannabis is shown to have health benefits ranging from relief from anxiety all the way to helping cancer patients reduce the effects of chemotherapy.
So, is there any research on these two substances taken together?
Are there any health benefits?
Yes, and also some interesting effects on your health as well. There is more and more research every day pointing to there being many health benefits to combining caffeine and cannabis use.
Keep reading to find out more about each of these health benefits. But remember to always consult a doctor before taking any substances, legal or otherwise, and not to replace any substance for professional medical advice.
Drink A Little, Smoke Less
In a study on monkeys trained to self-administer doses THC, low doses of caffeine were introduced.
The low doses of caffeine made the monkeys administer less THC over a period of time than they normally did.
So, a small bit of caffeine was causing their bodies to desire or require less THC.
This could be for a few reasons, which the scientists are still unsure. The main reason is a very scientific one.
Our brains and monkey brains are made out of synapses. The caffeine blocks these synapses and counteracts some of the effects of THC on the monkeys's brains, and causing them to become less dependent on the THC high.
The potential for helping those afflicted by marijuana addiction is also apparent here.
This doesn’t necessarily correlate with the anecdotal effects many human coffee drinkers and cannabis smokers have experienced, which leads to the next effect.
Drink A Lot, Smoke More
In the same study done on those monkeys from above, there was another interesting effect.
When given higher amounts of caffeine, the monkeys self-administered more THC.
This is interesting for a few reasons.
The researchers found that the synapses were affected in two different ways with different doses of caffeine.
Also, that the potential effects of THC could be increased with a larger amount of caffeine. Instead of blocking the excitable synapses in the monkey brains, the higher caffeine dose did the opposite: it fired the synapses up even more.
So, it’s possible that a higher dose of caffeine could also increase the effects of THC in cannabis use, which reinforces the experiences of many cannabis and coffee/tea users.
High Amounts of Antioxidants
By themselves both coffee (and caffeine by extension) and cannabis have high amounts of antioxidants.
For those who might not know, antioxidants help prevent cancer and help delay the aging process, among other things.
Most people don’t realize how important antioxidants are to a long, healthy life.
A great way to get a lot of antioxidants is by drinking coffee or tea, and smoking or eating some form of cannabis.
Don’t believe us you say?
Take a look at the studies.
Here the neuroprotective antioxidants in the cannabinoid in marijuana decreased neurotoxins in test rats.
Here and here discuss the similar effects of coffee on the body and brain.
Both substances are found to protect the vitality of cells in the body. This prevents diseases like Alzheimer's, type-2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
Despite coffee being most people’s number one source of antioxidants, most don’t know about it’s truly positive effects!
This also goes for marijuana/cannabis. Most just think of people getting high and sitting on the couch. Reality is that for many people cannabis use helps them get through tough chemo sessions, and could help them prevent a disease most adults in their families develop later in life.
Antioxidants are necessary for a healthy life and these are two easy, simple, and enjoyable methods to getting a high daily dose of them.
Finals Thoughts
How can two of the most widely used substances on the planet be so misunderstood?
Well, the research is beginning to increase on the effects of combining certain substances together, with these being only two out of many.
If you were wondering if there were truly any health benefits to coffee, caffeine, or cannabis, especially when taken together, hopefully this article provided the answer for you: Yes, there are numerous positive benefits to taking cannabis/marijuana and some form of caffeine together.
Whether you are looking to increase your high, your health, or maybe even decrease your dependency, there is evidence for all of that and more.
As with anything else, do your research. Compare all the sources before you take what other people say as the truth, and talk to a doctor before combining anything. Even two things with as many health benefits as cannabis or coffee.
References
Antioxidants and Antiradical Activity in Coffee
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4665516/
Different Effects on Synaptic Receptors in Monkeys
http://www.jneurosci.org/content/34/19/6480
Neuroprotective Antioxidants in Marijuana
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10863546
Reinforcing Effects of Cannabinoid Recpetors