What happens when you mix weed and tobacco?
Turns out, quite a bit. Mixing weed and tobacco creates a distinctly different smoking experience, one that some people love and some people hate. But, opinions on it aside, how bad is it to mix weed and tobacco? What happens to your body when you do?
Here’s a rundown of what you can expect to experience from mixing weed and tobacco in either a spliff or a mole bowl.
Spliff vs Moles
The term “spliff” is slang and means different things in different regions. Since we’re in Washington, we’ll be using the United States definition, which is a joint rolled with a mixture of weed and tobacco.
A mole is a bowl of tobacco with cannabis on top.
Technically, blunts also contain tobacco because they are wrapped in tobacco leaves.
What Happens When You Mix Weed and Tobacco?
There is a reason behind the popularity of spliffs, moles, and blunts and it goes way beyond taste.
Nicotine causes the release of a surge of opioid chemicals in the brain. The effect is one of instant relaxation, mood uplift, and a sense of reward. It is also accompanied by a lightheaded feeling that many find very pleasant.
You feel similar effects when consuming cannabis, but with a stronger, psychoactive, and physically relaxing effect.
When you mix weed and tobacco, you get a completely different type of smoking experience.
More Mellow High
While mixing weed and tobacco is quite sedating in its effects, you likely will not experience the haziness / fogginess that comes from smoking pure cannabis. Every individual reacts differently when they mix weed and tobacco, but you are likely to feel a pleasant sense of relaxation and go into a positive mindset. You will still be able to focus and be productive or social, rather than going on about aliens or wondering if moths climb ladders.
Nicotine and THC both cause euphoria, so expect to feel smiley and even giggly.
Increased Available THC
A 2009 study reported that, when mix weed and tobacco, more available THC is created. This means you will feel the cannabis effects immediately, and more of the THC will be available for your body to make use of.
The study examined the THC content in the smoke of a pure cannabis joint and of a spliff with just 25% weed. The results are mind-blowing.
THC in the smoke from the cannabis-only joint was measured at around 32.70mg /g. The spliff, on the other hand, had 58.90mg /g of THC! This led to the conclusion that tobacco increased the vaporization efficiency of the THC by 45%.
In other words, you’ll feel much higher when you mix weed and tobacco.
Head Rush
This extra available THC, paired with the nicotine, causes a head rush that is quite different than any other head rush. Tobacco itself causes a buzzing, light-headed effect, in addition to stimulating the production of adrenaline. This causes your heart to beat faster, your blood pressure to rise, and your temperature to increase. You’re pumped and ready to rock. The surge of adrenaline may cause you to feel a bit shaky and even nauseated. Some people experience vomiting as a result of mixing weed and tobacco.
Cannabis causes the blood to flow more quickly, so it reaches the brain at a rapid rate, producing another type of head rush.
When you mix weed and tobacco, you feel a much stronger head rush than you would if you smoked either tobacco or cannabis by itself. The nicotine gives you an energetic buzz, while the weed leaves you waxing philosophical, giggling, and feeling like everything is right with your world.
Health Risks Associated With Tobacco
We’ve all known for decades that tobacco is harmful. It’s bad for you, and there’s no way around that. When you choose to smoke a spliff or a mole, you run the risk of experiencing the adverse effects of tobacco.
Your risk increases with the amount of tobacco you consume each day and the number of years you smoke tobacco. Also, smoking tobacco at a young age puts you at higher risk later in life.
The majority of the health risks associated with tobacco use occur after continuous smoking. But, that doesn’t mean even one spliff or mole every now and then isn’t harmful. It’s also not true that they are “safer” to smoke than a cigarette or straight tobacco.
While smoking is most commonly associated with lung cancer, tobacco can also cause cancers of the mouth, throat, sinuses, esophagus, kidneys, stomach, bladder, pancreas, cervix, and uterus, in addition to some types of leukemia.
Smoking tobacco is also directly related to chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) and exacerbates asthma. Additionally, tobacco causes high blood pressure, ulcers, osteoporosis, diabetes, and reproductive disorders.
If you want to mix weed and tobacco, it’s imperative that you are aware of these health risks associated with tobacco.
Is It Safer to Mix Weed and Tobacco?
The short answer here is: No.
The longer answer is a bit more involved. There are several factors that come into play regarding whether or not mixing weed and tobacco holds the same amount of risk as smoking plain tobacco or cigarettes.
A few things to consider before you pack that mole:
Amount of Tobacco
People who smoke cigarettes generally don’t have just one. Cigarette-smoking Americans consume an average of 1,000 – 2,076 cigarettes per year. That’s a LOT of tobacco!
The more cigarettes you smoke, the greater health risk you create for yourself. Spliffs, moles, and blunts are a little different.
Because cannabis is so potent, you won’t generally find yourself chain-smoking moles or spliffs. It’s more common to smoke one socially, on a special occasion, or just as a way to unwind before bed. Smoking tobacco on an infrequent basis significantly reduces (but does not eliminate) your exposure to harmful smoke.
By using less tobacco in your spliffs or moles, you consume less of that toxic tobacco smoke.
Filter vs No Filter
While filters are far from the perfect invention, they do trap a lot of the tar and toxins that are in cigarettes. Most of the time, however, you won’t be using a filter when you smoke a spliff, and blunts don’t have a filter at all. Moles only rely on water to filter the smoke, and that isn’t enough to trap the harmful toxins and tar.
Not using a filter vastly increases the amount of tar and carcinogens you are taking into your lungs, thus increasing the health risks associated with tobacco.
More Weed
Cannabis has strong anti-cancer properties, which is why it’s hard to connect weed consumption with diseases like lung cancer. That being said, combusted cannabis flower still contains some carcinogens. These come not from the flower itself, but from the combustion process.
It is possible that the anti-cancer properties of cannabis protect against the cancer-causing compounds when you mix weed and tobacco. However, mixing the two increases the total amount of the carcinogens you are absorbing with each puff.
Tobacco does not have cancer-fighting properties like cannabis, but rather the opposite. Tobacco and cancer are strongly linked, and we have known this for decades.
By mixing weed and tobacco, but adding more flower, lowers your tobacco intake. This may reduce some of the damage caused, but cannabis is unable to counteract the adverse effects of the tobacco.
What to Mix With Weed Instead of Tobacco
It can certainly be enjoyable to mix weed and tobacco, but it is also very unhealthy. If you are concerned about these health risks, then avoid smoking spliffs, moles, or blunts. Opt for potent flower or potent concentrates instead.
But, a little indulgence every now and then is unlikely to be as harmful – just be aware of the risks involved.
There is a long list of other herbs you can mix with weed, all of which add different flavors and effects for a unique smoking experience.
Cannabis can also help you mitigate the effects of nicotine withdrawal, if you are trying to stop smoking cigarettes.
Do you mix weed and tobacco? Share your thoughts with us on social media or in the comments below.
Disclaimer: Marijuana has intoxicating effects and may be habit-forming. Smoking is hazardous to your health. There may be health risks associated with consumption of Marijuana. Marijuana, in any form, should not be used by individuals that are pregnant or breastfeeding. Marijuana is intended for use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of reach of children. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. This product may be unlawful outside of Washington State.
