Smoking cannabis, also known as marijuana or weed, comes with a culture of smoking styles. Some people use a glass apparatus like a bowl or a bong to smoke. Others may roll a marijuana cigarette, commonly called a joint. And some may prefer to mix their marijuana with tobacco to create an upper-downer effect where the weed relaxes them while the tobacco pumps them up.
A small cigarette containing both weed and tobacco is called a spliff, while a large cigar-like cigarette with the same mixture is often called a blunt.
But the issue with spliffs and blunts is that they expose you to harmful tobacco substances and nicotine (the addictive substance that makes smoking so hard to quit). That combination can create a pleasant high, but it can also come with several disruptive consequences.
If you’re worried about your substance use, this article can help you unpack tobacco and cannabis, how they interact, and why mixing them can create such disruptive effects. You’re not alone if you’re struggling, and help is available.
The Effect of Cannabis on the Brain and Body
Let’s tackle cannabis first, since there are a ton of myths supporting its health effects (those aren’t totally invalid by the way, but they should be clarified with further research).
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has long confirmed that cannabis affects your brain’s development, and it can impact your memory, learning, focus, coordination, reaction time, decision-making, and emotions.
Longer-term cannabis consumption, however, can lead to cannabis use disorder (CUD), dependence, and other psychological and physical issues, especially as cannabis becomes more potent:
- Feeling irritable or restless
- Experiencing anxiety or panic
- Having hallucinations or feelings of paranoia and deep suspicion
- Compromised lung, heart, and gastrointestinal health
- Poor mental health
- Increased risk of head, neck, and throat cancer
Another under-the-radar result of long-term cannabis use is the development of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), which can make you extremely nauseous and/or cause vomiting or extreme stomach pain. It can be super distressing. Thankfully, all you have to do is stop smoking weed to alleviate symptoms.
Tobacco’s Effect on the Brain and Body
Now, tobacco time.
Fun fact: Tobacco itself doesn’t actually cause a high. It’s what’s inside tobacco that makes smoking so addictive (cough, cough—nicotine). Nicotine highs often include a rush of energy, attention, or light-headedness. But they don’t necessarily compete with the psychoactive high that cannabis or other substances produce, so you may not notice a real difference in your cognition after consuming nicotine.
However, nicotine’s long-term effects can be devastating:
- Cancer: Tobacco creates the greatest risk for lung cancer.
- Dementia: Research from a decade ago confirmed that smokers were 30% likelier to develop it.
- Stroke: Your chances of having one automatically rise if you smoke.
- Cognitive decline: Yep, this can happen too—slower information processing, worse memory, and poorer concentration.
Nicotine is just one big YIKES for the body, but quitting can be so challenging—especially when your dependence on it is tied to marijuana.
And the reasoning behind that can boil down to one word: Bliss.
What Is a Bliss Molecule?
Well, it’s tiny, that’s for sure. The body’s bliss molecule is a nickname that the scientific community created for a natural compound called anandamide. Anandamide influences your mood and your response to stress. If you’re low on anandamide, you may often experience more anxiety, depression, and a higher likelihood of relapse if you’re trying to quit marijuana.
When researchers conducted PET scans of people who used both cannabis and tobacco, they found they had higher levels of FAAH, an enzyme that breaks the bliss molecule down, leading to lower anandamide levels.
The conclusion: smoking weed with nicotine means lower moods, more anxiety, and less success in CUD recovery. Mixing both can also lead to a stronger chance of getting hooked. But the research doesn’t begin and end with spliffs or blunts.
Studies into the effects of vaping and marijuana are still in the works—but those results will be important for younger people who use those products.
Beat Substance Dependence in South Carolina
If you’re struggling to put down cannabis, tobacco, or both, even though you know how harmful they can be both separately and together, Waypoint Recovery Center in South Carolina can help. We work with anyone who has a substance use disorder (SUD), no matter how severe.
Our services include:
- Residential treatment in Cameron
- Outpatient treatment in North Charleston
- Evidence-based therapies that work: Individual therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), group therapy, and family therapy
- 12-Step options
If you can’t find the service you need listed above, simply give us a call—we have something for everyone.
