When you think about using cannabis, you most likely will think of relaxing after a tough day of work. And when you think of coffee, you most likely think of the only thing that got you through said workday, albeit jittery and dehydrated. While we know the two are very different substances, a recent study may show that they are not just different, but possibly total opposites.
The study, which was published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, shows how metabolites of the endocannabinoid system will drop for a dedicated coffee drinker. For coffee drinkers that enjoy four to eight cups of joe per day, the endocannabinoid chemicals generally increased by consuming cannabis will be subdued.
As Assistant Professor of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine Marilyn Cornelis said, “What we’re seeing here is that the systems that are impacted by coffee and cannabis overlap.” This suggests a conflicting interaction within the body if coffee is consumed after marijuana, a combination many experts warn against.
Interestingly enough, Cornelis also noted that the very endocannabinoids that were reduced when drinking coffee were also shown to lessen when the body is under stress. This could possibly be a result of increased coffee consumption acting as the root of the stress, meaning the body likely reduced the endocannabinoid levels as a protective method.
While it’s fairly common knowledge that coffee and marijuana are two very different substances, it is interesting to see that they are also fairly opposite scientifically. As Cornelis said, “It would be interesting to see if there were some genetic differences in the response to coffee as well,” meaning there’s still much more to learn about the interaction between the two.
For more information, feel free to check out the additional background on the study on the Wiley Online Library. And for more information on how coffee and marijuana interact, make sure to check out Tiffany King’s article on cannabis and caffeine.
