You may know Adderall as a medication that’s used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). While it is used by adults, Adderall is most frequently used to treat ADHD in children. Children usually present the first symptoms of ADHD around the age of seven. What Happens When You Mix Adderall and Weed?

Sometimes the disorder goes away but up to 60 percent of children continue to experience symptoms in adulthood. Therefore, some adults have prescriptions for this drug.

Adderall is also used to help people with narcolepsy to stay awake. However, like many other prescription drugs, it’s also used recreationally by people who don’t have prescriptions.

Often, it’s combined with weed in an attempt to negate some of the negative side effects. Even people who have prescriptions may mix Adderall and weed.

In this article, we’ll look at the effects of mixing these two drugs. If you or someone you love is engaging in this practice, you need to talk to a medical professional.

The Effects of Adderall and Cannabis

Before we get into what happens when these two substances are combined, we first need to understand the side effects of each drug when taken separately. This sets the stage for understanding how they may interact.

Adderall is a central nervous system stimulant that’s made up of four amphetamine salts:

• Dextroamphetamine saccharate
• Amphetamine aspartate
• Dextroamphetamine sulfate
• Amphetamine sulfate

Adderall increases the levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain. It helps to improve attention, focus, listening skills, and organizational skills while also controlling behavioral challenges.

While this drug is intended to make people with ADHD more focused, some people who don’t have this condition use it for pleasure or to improve their performance. Many of these individuals are college or high school students who want to stay awake for long periods while they cram for exams or work on large projects.

However, professionals who want to improve their job performance and athletes who want to do better on the field may also use it.

Like other stimulants, Adderall can cause cardiovascular and psychological distress. Some of the side effects include:

• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Depression when coming down
• Loss of sex drive
• Headaches
• Dry mouth
• Weight loss
• Diarrhea

Cannabis

Weed or cannabis is a psychoactive drug that is often smoked or consumed in an edible form. Many people see it as a harmless and even highly therapeutic drug.

However, the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content today is a lot higher than it was in the 1970s and this makes it more dangerous than some people realize. THC is the main psychoactive component in cannabis and it creates the high for which cannabis is typically known.

Some individuals who have ADHD use marijuana as a way of self-medicating. There are people who advocate for the use of weed as an ADHD treatment.

They say that it helps individuals to manage severe symptoms like irritability, agitation, and lack of restraint while causing fewer side effects than the usual prescription medicines.

While many people find cannabis beneficial, it can have serious side effects for some individuals. These side effects vary depending on how strong the weed is and how high the individual’s tolerance is.

Effects can include:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Paranoia
• Hallucinations 
• Brain fog
• Increased appetite
• Blood pressure spikes
• Increased heart rate
• Laziness and inactivity

 

Chronic use of marijuana can also lead to long-term issues such as:

• Problems breathing
• Increased heart rate
• Nausea and vomiting
• A decline in IQ if started as a teenager
• A decline in verbal ability and general knowledge
• Decreased life satisfaction
• Problems with fetal development in pregnant women

People often believe that weed can’t be addictive. However, between 9 and 30 percent of people who use marijuana will go on to develop a substance use disorder. Individuals who start using when they’re under the age of 18 are more likely to become addicted

Marijuana can also be harmful for people with mental health conditions. For example, individuals who have schizophrenia are more likely to develop psychosis. Smoking marijuana can also make respiratory conditions worse.

What People Who Combine Adderall and Weed Experience

While Adderall and cannabis have benefits when used separately, mixing them is a cause for concern. It can be difficult to answer the question “what does mixing Adderall with weed feel like?” since marijuana can have such varying effects.

We know that Adderall is a stimulant but marijuana can be a stimulant, depressant, or hallucinogen depending on the strain used. Therefore, weed can either enhance the effects of Adderall or balance them out.

Some people who have ADHD say weed reduces the agitation and distress that Adderall often causes.

Meanwhile, some people who use marijuana say Adderall helps to relieve side effects such as fatigue and reduced cognitive function. This may seem like the ideal combination for people who use either drug for therapeutic purposes. However, not everyone will have the same experience.

Dangers of Adderall Abuse

The long-term abuse of Adderall can lead to irregular heart rhythms, increased blood pressure, and even addiction. People are most likely to become addicted to Adderall when they take more than the prescribed dose, take doses more frequently than prescribed or use the drug for longer than prescribed

Adderall can become more addictive when taken with other substances and people who struggle with substance abuse disorders are among those at the highest risk.

Students, people with stressful jobs, athletes, and individuals who struggle with bulimia or anorexia are also more likely to become addicted to Adderall. Even after individuals quit using Adderall, they may continue to face irreversible health issues.

Dangers of Combining Both Drugs

Depression is one of the possible outcomes when people use both Adderall and weed. Long-term Adderall use can make it difficult for the brain to release dopamine and serotonin on its own. The brain comes to rely on Adderall to produce these chemicals.

As a result, the user may experience depression and anhedonia, which is an inability to feel pleasure without using drugs. Heavy marijuana use can also cause the brain to release less dopamine so combining Adderall and weed over a long period can lead to depression.

Another danger of combining Adderall and weed is that the risk of abuse increases. Some people experience an even more desirable high when they take both drugs. This euphoria can drive them to use these substances again. This can lead to addiction.

People who abuse Adderall and weed regularly may need to undergo a medical detox process to get the drugs out of their bodies. Taking combinations of drugs that haven’t been prescribed is often dangerous. If you’re mixing substances and you’re finding it hard to stop, seek professional help.

How Long Do Weed and Adderall Stay in the Body?

Adderall has a half-life of about ten hours. This means it takes about ten hours  for half the dosage to leave the body. Generally, it’ll take around two days for the drug to leave your system.

Meanwhile, the effects of marijuana peak around ten minutes after use and last for one to three hours in most cases.

However, the effects can last for up to eight or ten hours. A lot depends on:

• The individual’s tolerance
• The individual’s body weight and metabolism
• How much weed they took
• How much THC the weed contained
• Whether they ate beforehand 

Can You Overdose on Adderall?

The simple answer is yes. While people often associate overdoses with opioids and other depressants, stimulant overdoses can and do occur. They are different in that they result from an overstimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system.

Therefore, symptoms of an Adderall overdose include:

• Heart attack
• Aggression
• Panic
• Hallucinations
• Tremors
• Fever 

It takes a lot of Adderall to cause a fatal overdose. A lethal dose is somewhere between 20 and 25 milligrams per kilogram of body weight and it’s not likely that a person would take that much.

However, using weed can mitigate some of the side effects of Adderall. This may lead the person to use even more Adderall, thereby increasing the risk of a dangerous overdose. If you think you or someone else is experiencing an

Adderall overdose, call the emergency services and let them assess the situation. 

How to Tell If You’re Addicted to Adderall or Weed

Addiction is complicated and people who struggle with their drug use often aren’t sure about if they’re addicted or not. Given that it’s relatively easy to legally source both weed and Adderall, the lines may be even more blurred.

However, it’s important to note that any substance can be abused and even if you have a prescription for Adderall, you may be misusing the drug. If you’re worried about your drug use or your loved ones have raised concerns, you should talk to an addictions professional. 

Signs of drug addiction include:

• Difficulty stopping or reducing your drug use
• Needing more and more of a drug to get the effects you once did
• Experiencing strong cravings for the substance
• Thinking about ways to acquire more of the drug
• Prioritizing the substance over hobbies and other things you enjoyed
• Developing increased tolerance
• Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking the drug
• Repeatedly using the substance in dangerous situations
• Continuing to use the substance even though it is negatively affecting your health
• Continuing to use the substance even though it is negatively affecting people you love
• Neglecting your responsibilities in favor of drug use

How Treatment Can Help

Misusing Adderall and weed is considered polydrug abuse. If you’re abusing two or more substances, treatment will need to address all of them along with any co-occurring disorders like anxiety or depression.

Any kind of substance abuse can have life-altering effects and your health can suffer in both the long and the short term. While mixing Adderall and weed may not be as dangerous and combining Adderall and alcohol, it is still unsafe.

The sooner you seek help, the better it will be for you. You may be able to reverse some of the damage caused by your drug use and prevent additional problems from occurring in the future.

By enrolling in a recovery program, you can detox from the substances in your body and learn how you can achieve long-term sobriety. It is highly recommended that you undergo medical detox.

You’ll have 24/7 medical supervision and you’ll be provided with medications to help you manage nausea, vomiting, and depression that may accompany withdrawal.

Making it through the detoxification process is the start of recovery. Getting the drugs out of your body is essential but you also need to take care of your mental and emotional needs.

It’s important that you identify what caused you to abuse drugs in the first place and then learn how to handle those triggers.

Treatments vary from one facility to another but people struggling with substance abuse problems typically benefit from one or more of the following interventions:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Dialectical behavior therapy
• Group therapy
• Individual therapy
• Family therapy
• Motivational interviewing
• Stress management
• Relapse prevention planning

Get Addiction Treatment from Best Rehabs In Arizona

Now that you’re aware of the dangers of mixing Adderall and weed, you may think that you have a drug problem. Given the long and short-term dangers of substance abuse, you need to make it a priority to find a reputable rehab facility. At Best Rehabs In Arizona, we provide individuals with the tools they need to live a life free of addiction. We don’t only focus on detox. We offer a variety of customized evidence-based treatments that cater to the mind, body, and spirit. If you’re ready to start your recovery journey, call us to discuss the available treatment options. We offer fast insurance verification.