A lot has been said about marijuana and caffeine, with different companies in the U.S. developing products that combine the two. Even before cannabis was embraced by the mainstream, enthusiasts of the drug were finding creative ways of mixing these two elements by adding cannabis to oil or butter and mixing it in with their coffee, making recipes that resulted in a good high with a nice flavour.

More research needs to be conducted to understand how these two elements work together, but some anecdotal evidence notes that pairing these two results in a high that’s unlike any other.

Here’s what is known about caffeine and cannabis, and the effect that they produce on the body.

Both elements increase dopamine levels

A study from 2017 found that both caffeine and cannabis increased dopamine levels in subjects who consumed it. When these two are consumed together, this boost is increased, resulting in euphoria and a different experience than the one received when consuming these substances separately.

They can increase your heart rate

Caffeine and marijuana can both increase the heart rate, so it’s important to be careful when mixing them, especially if you’re someone whose heart rate increases or can’t fall asleep when consuming more than, say, two cups of coffee a day. When mixing caffeine and weed, choose products and strains that don’t contain too much caffeine or THC, that way eliminating as much discomfort as possible.

Caffeine might prolong your high

A study conducted on monkeys showed some interesting results for caffeine and cannabis. In it, a group of monkeys were administered with one milligram of caffeine. The other group didn’t take anything. Both groups of monkeys had access to unlimited amounts of marijuana. The study found that monkeys who’d ingested the milligram of caffeine were less likely to ingest more weed. Researchers theorize that the small amount of caffeine boosted the monkeys’ high, making it last longer and require less doses of marijuana.

You might feel wired and tired

Marijuana is a depressant while caffeine is a stimulant. Life Science reports that despite this, marijuana and caffeine’s effects don’t cancel each other out. Unlike the role coffee plays when consumed by someone who’s drunk (said to sober them up), consuming coffee while high will just accentuate that high.

Always be careful

Like all things cannabis, it’s important to find a dose of caffeine and THC that works for you. If you’re interested in trying out the combination of coffee and cannabis, prepare your cup and ingest it in the morning, preferably on a day you don’t have any meetings or deadlines scheduled. Start off slow and keep a close eye on how you feel throughout the day.

The FreshToast.com, a U.S. lifestyle site that contributes lifestyle content and, with their partnership with 600,000 physicians via Skipta, medical marijuana information to The GrowthOp.

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