WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE CROSSFADED?

Being crossfaded refers to being simultaneously under the influence of alcohol and cannabis. The effects can vary but typically result in intensified experiences from both substances, often leading to altered perceptions, increased impairment, and a unique state of mind.

Smoking cannabis can make you loopy, but when cannabis is combined with alcohol it may send you spiraling into a unique and uncomfortable hell. In this article, we’re going to explore the overwhelming effects that mixing cannabis and booze can have on the human body.  

It Started Out Like Any Other Night

If you are a ritual cannabis smoker, your evenings probably involve a little Mary Jane. If you are not a cannabis smoker, your nights may include having a few drinks at the end of the day. 

Everybody is different, but usually people lean team cannabis, or team alcohol.  

Have you ever been smoking cannabis, doing your thing, when all of a sudden an impromptu plan is introduced!? Your buddy calls you and asks if you want to go to Motown Mondays at the bar- so you go. What, you’re gonna go to the bar and not order a drink - right? (You are totally allowed to go to the bar and not drink, by the way!

But peer pressure is real, and sometimes we take one puff too many of that blunt that’s going around the circle of people because it’s easier than saying, “I’m good.” Or we let our friends buy us a drink we don’t really want because it seems important to them. 

Whatever the case, when you start out with one vice and then switch to another, the results can be alarming. 

The Symptoms 

There’s a moment when the crossfade hits. You realize that something has changed, the way you feel suddenly SUCKS. Something has changed, your body chemistry. You might experience:

• Shortness of breath

• Sweat

• Dizziness

• Paranoia

• Increased rapid heart rate

• Anxiety

• Nausea

• Disorientation

The Science

There have been studies done that support evidence of alcohol metabolizing differently alongside cannabis . 

Cannabis is antiemetic, meaning that the effects of cannabis can prevent feelings of nausea and reduce the need to vomit. This can be a problem.

Sometimes it is necessary to purge the horrific amount of alcohol you may have consumed, and being high while being too drunk can get in the way of the perfectly natural instinct to puke. 

You may be left at the terrible intersection of feeling ill from being so drunk, and so high that you are staring at your hand being like, wtf is up with hands...

Am I Going to Feel Like This Forever?

Of course not. Though it is an all-consuming, dreadful feeling that you pretty much have to let run its course, and then it will go away.

The first thing you need to do is find a place where you feel safe to recuperate. This might mean you need to go home, or in a pinch, there’s always a bathroom stall where you can sit with your head over your knees and take a second to breathe. 

Take as long as you need. Do not drive.

How To Uncross Your Fade

If you are feeling sick you obviously need to stop drinking booze and smoking cannabis for the evening. 

Have a glass of water, get a breath of fresh air, as you are essentially in baby mode and you need to be your own mommy right now. The minutes may feel like hours, but hopefully you’ll regain your health and vigor by doing a few basic tasks. Like eating. 

If you feel like you can eat, that is probably the easiest way out. Get some delicious food going, something bready, something saucy, maybe something cheesy. Give your stomach something to do other than feel like crap. 

If you’re feeling the spins when you lay down on a bed, but you really want to lay down- lay on one side of the bed and put one foot down on the floor. This will literally ground you while you fixate on all the shapes you can see in the popcorn ceiling. 

Have a big cup of water by your bed. Sometimes holding a big mouthful of water in your mouth for a few seconds and swallowing it slowly will make you feel like you’re re-hydrating in slow motion.

You Got This!

Pay attention to how many drinks you’ve consumed (always), and be sure for every alcoholic beverage you consume to match it with a glass of water. It may not seem fun to be strict and refuse alcohol alongside cannabis, but it’s easier than feeling terrible later. 

Remember that this feeling is temporary. The best thing you can do is learn from your cross-faded mistake and not let history repeat itself.