CBD And Aspirin – Cannabis Do’s And Don’ts

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the non-psychoactive cannabinoids found mostly in sativa and hybrid cannabis plants. This cannabinoid is often used to treat inflammation and chronic pain. Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is also a common painkiller that many people turn to, as it can simply be bought over the counter. Since these drugs have similar effects, many people wonder whether it is safe to take both in combination, and whether it would produce side effects.

What Is Aspirin?

Aspirin is a drug commonly used to treat pain, fever, and inflammation. It is classified as an anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drug. It is mostly prescribed to patients with cardiac disorders as a blood thinner to prevent blood clots, although you do not need a prescription to get Aspirin. 

The drug has a half-life of 2 to 3 hours, or 15 to 30 hours, depending on the dosage. It is excreted mostly through urine, progressing through the bloodstream and the kidneys to the urinary tract.

Does CBD Interact With Aspirin?

It is highly unlikely that Aspirin and CBD will cause adverse reactions, especially when using Aspirin in low doses. 

However, in higher doses or with long-term use, CBD could in theory increase the serum levels of Aspirin over time, which could have potential side effects. As both Aspirin and CBD are blood thinners, it is possible that using them in combination could lead to increased bruising, blood loss, or liver damage.

However, this is just a theory. In practice, no use of CBD and Aspirin have produced any intense side effects whatsoever. This is true even for those who use both supplements on a daily basis. 

Other Medications That You Can Take With CBD

The following medications are generally safe to consume along with CBD due to their relation to Aspirin:

• Ibuprofen (Motrin, Nuprin, Advil, Caldolor and Neoprofen)
• Naproxen (Aleve)
• Celecoxib (Celebrex and Onsenal)
• Etodolac (Ultradol)
• Ketorolac (Toradol)
• Meloxicam (Mobic)

It is always best to consult a medical practitioner when taking medication along with CBD to make sure that it is a healthy and suitable option for you.

Can CBD Be Used As An Alternative To Aspirin? 

Managing severe pain and inflammation could be done much more effectively with the use of CBD than Aspirin. They work best in combination in order to relieve pain. However, for use as a blood thinner, CBD is not a viable alternative to Aspirin.

The Best Cannabis Strains For Managing Pain

Here are some of the best cannabis strains for managing pain and giving pain relief:

• Harlequin
• Sweet and Sour Widow
• Ringo’s Gift
• Canna-Tsu
• ACDC
• Harle-Tsu
• Stephen Hawking Kush
• Cannatonic
• Sour Tsunami
• Pennywise

All of these strains have a very high CBD concentration, which will give you a stronger, clear-headed relief from pain. If you prefer CBD-only products, there are multiple types of CBD products you can use, including edibles, tonics, tinctures, capsules, drops, and creams.

The Interactions Between Drugs And CBD

Although CBD has many benefits, it can produce some complications when interacting with other drugs. It can either increase or decrease the effects of the drug, which could become harmful at some point. Interactions between drugs and CBD can be classified as follows:

• Agonistic Interaction
• Antagonistic Interaction
• Metabolic Competition

Agonistic Interaction

During agonistic interaction, CBD increases the effect of the drug by inducing the same effect. This is most common in drugs that share similar sedative, anti-inflammatory, painkilling, or anxiolytic effects. 

In some cases, such as with Aspirin, this creates a good reaction. However, it is always good to consult a healthcare professional, as some other medications may increase these effects to a dangerous level.

Antagonistic Interaction

CBD has the potential to decrease the effects of some drugs by clearing it out of the system at a faster rate or by inhibiting it from reaching its full effect. This is common in stimulants, low blood pressure medication, and emetics, which all have the opposite effect of CBD.

Metabolic Competition

CBD has the tendency to compete with or block the metabolism of medication as it progresses through the liver. This can result in an increase of both substances in the bloodstream, which could lead to some unwanted side effects. 

This interaction is more of a concern when medications are used on a daily basis, as it can cause a rise to dangerous levels of the substances over time. 

Are There Some Drugs That Cannot Be Taken Along With CBD?

There are in fact some drugs that should not be taken with CBD. Potentially serious interactions between certain medications and CBD include:

• Common blood thinners
• Heart rhythm medication
• Thyroid medication
• Some medications used to treat seizures

Once again, it is safest to check in with a medical professional to ensure that CBD is a good choice for you that will work effectively without interacting with any other medication you are taking.

Does The Form Of CBD Matter?

Yes, it does. Inhaling CBD (smoking or vaping) gets it into the bloodstream faster than any other method. It often reaches its highest concentration within 30 minutes, and increases the risk of acute side effects. Edibles take much longer to absorb and can kick in anywhere from an hour to two hours after consumption, making it less likely to reach a peak that can interact heavily with other medications. 

Topical products may not reach the bloodstream as efficiently as other methods of consumption, but we do not have enough information on how much CBD eventually reaches the bloodstream. The fact that there isn’t an extensive amount of research on these products further complicates the interaction of CBD with other medications.

CBD and Aspirin have the same effect when managing pain, making the risk for taking these drugs together extremely low. It is only when you are using these drugs together in high doses for an extended period of time that you may run into some mild problems. Most people find great relief from using CBD in combination with Aspirin, but it is always a good idea to consult a medical practitioner to ensure that you are using these products safely, as CBD may interact differently with other types of medications.