Adderall and Weed: Learn More About the Combo

More people are embracing the Adderall and weed combination, but we don’t know much about how they really interact.
Adderall and Weed: Learn More About the Combo
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A way to level up, or a dangerous drug cocktail? There’s lots of enthusiasm and skepticism out there about the weed and Adderall, aka “weederall,” combination, and plenty of misleading and concern-trolling information about taking the two together. And that makes learning actual, useful, credible info about the combo difficult. But don’t worry, we’ve done the digging for you. Depending on who you ask, Adderall and weed are an ideal combo, a perfect pair of stimulant and depressant. Yet others who’ve combined the two have had unpleasant and sometimes distressing experiences involving racing hearts and shallow breathing.

Both experiences are true and possible. Complex drugs lead to complex effects, especially when combined in experimental ways. Everyone’s results will vary, but knowing how and why those effects can be so different is important. So if you’ve ever wanted to learn more about the Adderall and weed combo, read on.

Why Do People Mix Adderall and Weed?

So what’s behind the cannabis and Adderall combination that’s so attractive to the people who consume and take the two drugs?

One major reason is the way that cannabis can help counter some of the more negative side-effects of taking Adderall. Vice versa, some claim Adderall helps keep them alert, focused and feeling more intelligent than they do after consuming THC, that it helps overcome some of the “dumbing down” effects of cannabis.

Another motivating factor is the similarity between the effects of the two drugs. Researchers have only began investigating this relationship, but there are studies suggesting cannabis could replace Adderall prescriptions for some users.

When it comes to studies, however, most researchers have taken a more pessimistic approach toward the weed and Adderall combination. For decades, most studies looked at how ADHD, the prescriptions used to treat it and marijuana interacted. But these studies were geared toward documenting “cannabis use disorder” as part of a broader substance abuse problem linked to prescription drugs. In other words, these studies suggest people mix Adderall and weed because each drug reinforces dependency on the other.

What Are The Combined Effects of Weed and Adderall

The combined effects of weed and Adderall, however, have hardly been studied at all. Most of the information we have on combining them comes from the experiences of the people who have tried it. And according to them, the combined effects vary dramatically.

Generally, though, you can expect the following to happen when you use Adderall and weed in combination.

  • Increased Stimulation. Adderall will raise your heart rate, which is something THC can also do, especially if taken in significant quantities. While heart pounding can be a thrilling and exciting experience for some, and shouldn’t pose too much of a risk for people without a heart condition, the intensity can be too much for some and easily tip over into an unpleasant experience.
  • Heightened Euphoria. Both THC and Adderall, an amphetamine, increase dopamine levels in the brain, leading to pleasurable, euphoric sensations. Adderall, however, can quickly deplete the brain’s dopamine supply. But THC can reduce the “crash” associated with burnout by stimulating dopamine production and stimulation in the body’s endocannabinoid system.
  • Reduced Anxiety. Connected with dopamine production and stimulation, the weed and Adderall combination can reduce some of the side-effects associated with use, like paranoia, anxiety, insomnia, loss of appetite and irritability.
  • Increased Long-Term Health Risks. There’s no known lethal dose of cannabis. You just can’t kill yourself with THC. The same cannot be said for Adderall, however. Adderall also presents a number of long-term health risks and negative effects ranging from panic attacks and mood swings to heart disease, depression and fatigue. And since taking weed and Adderall together can reduce some of the immediate sensations of those side-effects, the combo can actually lead to more Adderall use, increasing long-term risks.

The Dangers of Mixing Adderall and Weed

Most of the information we have on how Adderall and weed interact is anecdotal—the stories people tell about it. So the biggest danger facing those who use the two together is the lack of credible information and hard evidence. Without scientific studies of the two drugs in combination, it’s impossible for users to judge dosage and determine when and how they should take weed and Adderall together. And that means people have to experiment to find what works for them. But experimentation can be risky when it comes to Adderall, even if it’s less so with cannabis.

We just don’t know what, if any impact cannabis has on the effects and side-effects of Adderall use, especially long-term. We just know that Adderall’s long-term effects as a stimulant are more deleterious than THC’s long-term effects. Both are insufficiently understood. But that’s likely to change as barriers to researching cannabis fall and the drug gains more mainstream acceptance and legal recognition. For now, however there’s no sufficient evidence to show that weed and Adderall interact in any particularly dangerous way. And that has led many prescription and non-prescription Adderall users to embrace the two together.

The Benefits of Weed and Adderall Combined

Many people report that mixing Adderall and weed proved beneficial and in their experience, safe. Again, cannabis isn’t likely to make Adderall any riskier than it already is on its own. To the contrary, those who’ve had good experiences mixing both substances say weed helps deal with everything that’s harsh about taking the amphetamine: crashes, irritability, emotional distress. At the very least, combining weed and Adderall is going to present fewer risks than combining Adderall with alcohol or other prescription drugs.

And as research continues, we might learn how cannabis treatments could eventually replace amphetamine treatments for ADD/ADHD. Adderall alone accounts for tens of millions of prescriptions annually, not including its ubiquitous non-prescription use. So perhaps one of the most significant benefits of Adderall and weed combined is its potential to reduce Adderall use and dependency.

But that’s the future. In the present, cannabis use can benefit prescription and recreational Adderall users alike by reducing negative side-effects and heightening desirable effects. Whether those benefits ultimately outweigh the risks is something each person has to decide for themselves.

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  1. I’m a final year medicine student and please believe me when I say this article is utter nonsense, not to mention extremely dangerous advice. I don’t mean to disparage the author, but I feel obliged to address this. Combining Amfetamine-class drugs (adderall, dexedrine etc…) and THC is extremely irresponsible as both carry a risk of paranoia and even psychosis, which possibly could be synergistic when combined. The article also states that THC reduces anxiety from stims and though this can be true, the opposite is also possible. Remember that scientific research on this combo is very limited since THC was illegal for the longest time, you’re basically a human experiment. In my personal experience doing an internship in psychiatry for a few months, i saw many patients with drug induced psychosis, the overwhelming majority of which were stims/weed combo, a constatation corroborated by my professors experience. You could argue that there is no scientific consensus on the level of harm, but there is definitely no consensus on the lack thereof. Please refrain from combining heavy stimulants with marijuana, it’s possible you will never experience anything bad but you are rolling dice. This type of article should honestly be illegal, the statement that it’s probably safe is based on nothing. The sad thing is many people will just scan the first page of google and accept this article at face value. Please be respectful of your readers mental health and do not make unfounded claims.

    1. I think the point of the article is solely based on the experiences felt and based on those experiences, it should be more looked into as a possibility for reducing anxiety and paranoia. Also, the subject of adderall and the use of a 1:1 THC/CBD tincture was not mentioned. I have combo ADD. The adderall by far has tremendously helped with focus, putting racing thoughts on track, and helped keep me out of my head more. The problem comes with Emotion Dysregulation mostly in conjunction with anxiety. Not being able to separate thoughts and feelings easily and there not being enough space between triggers and reactions to make clear headway with breakthroughs in behavior. Enjoying the relaxing effects of THC/CBD without the paranoia/anxiety. That is enough to make space for an actual thought to even use the tools I’ve learned I’ve had. The slowing of my thoughts has helped me consider what the correct decision is. I can meditate more on what I ACTUALLY want to do rather than be filled with regret because of the lower impulse control that those who have AD(H)D know all too well about. Medications need to be measured. Overuse/abuse of anything is no good… titration is how people are prescribed adderall. It’s also the same way people are **supposed to** use tinctures. It’s about responsibility regardless of substance use. I honestly think the majority of long time substance abuse history would be benefited by what we know about pica with iron rich dirt or the calcium in chalk. Maybe our brains know what they need and are trying to fix/balance themselves… maybe the medical community should take substance abuse seriously as a neurological need being unmet or in deficiency. The problem with the idea that the simplest answers are usually the correct ones, is that once that statement is made we naturally tend to become mentally/intellectually lazy. We won’t take on hunches or trust our perceiving self because the problem’s already “solved”…. what’s next? THAT’S not science.

      1. “The problem comes with Emotion Dysregulation mostly in conjunction with anxiety.”

        Going through this right now, what helped for you? Have you been able to manage it? Any advice would help thanks

    2. Final year med student and you can’t spell amphetamine correctly. Your medical advice is unwelcome to these eyes.

      30 years I’ve used 30mg adderall and 2k mg cannabis combo a day and no side effects. Individual health not herd mentality.

  2. I have been a cannabis smoker both medically and recreationally for 16 years, mostly a heavy daily smoker.
    At 34 I was diagnosed with ADHD and have started adderall. I’m still finding the correct dose but am currently on 20 mg XR a day. I came to this site while studying the effects of the adderall/cannabis combo.
    My doctor and therapist are both fully aware I smoke marijuana and neither were concerned with me starting adderall. I think in my case the benefits outweigh any risk.
    However I like to do my own research, which I wish was more readily available. After visiting several sites it seems I’ll have to dedicate a good amount of time researching to get a more solid answer.
    Some of my curiosity stemmed from my initial experience of lessened effects from smoking marijuana while taking adderall, as well as it being less pleasant tasting.

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