Getting high is fun. Getting drunk is fun. But is getting high and drunk at the same time fun? Well, it all depends on who you ask. Let’s break down what it means to be crossfaded.
What is a crossfaded high?
If you’re familiar with cannabis, then you’ve probably heard of the dreaded crossfaded high.
A crossfaded high is when you’re both drunk and stoned at the same time. It usually happens when you smoke after being drunk, but either order of operations can send your body and mind into a frenzy.
How does a crossfaded high feel?
You ever been so fucked up that you had to lay naked on the cold kitchen floor with your eyes held open because it’s the only way to halt the spins? If not, know that’s what being crossfaded usually feels like.
Being stoned and drunk can make you feel a multitude of ways. If it hits right, you could feel the ultimate euphoria: one of those goofy-ass moods where any-and-everything sounds like the best idea ever, because who cares—we’re all just young, wild, and free.
However, if that alcohol and THC in your body hit wrong, you’ll probably feel dizzy, nauseated, disoriented, and perhaps even paranoid as the crossfade has the potential to resemble a panic attack.
Why does the high happen?
It’s important to remember that cannabis is still federally illegal, which is why so little research has been done on it. Take that into account and you can see why even fewer studies have been done on the crossfade.
So when discussing why it happens, the short answer is: We don’t exactly know yet. The long answer is: We don’t exactly know yet, but some scientists are working on it.
There are plenty of scientific studies on both cannabis and alcohol independently, but the combination of the two has been explored very little. Amongst few others, Scott E. Lukas, PhD, of Harvard Medical School, has done a couple of experiments: one testing the effects of getting drunk and then smoking cannabis after, the other testing the reverse order, with cannabis first, alcohol second.
Overall, these studies suggest that, in layman’s terms, alcohol increases the body’s absorption of THC, getting you way more intoxicated than usual, and at a faster rate than usual.
How long does it last?
How long you feel crossfaded depends mostly on the amount of each substance in your body. A little puff from a one-hitter could send you off into the world of spins, but that negative experience would obviously be way shorter-lived than if you faced a whole blunt.
How do you end a crossfaded high?
Die. JK. That’s terrible advice, even though you might feel like you want to.
The only true way to get over the crossfade is to wait it out. Here are a few tips for easing the process:
Drink water
There’s no scientific proof that water lessens a high, but we do know that water lessens a drunk. That’s why you’re supposed to get one glass of water per alcoholic beverage throughout the night. So theoretically, drinking water could help weaken the crossfade, simply because it will reduce the longevity of your inebriation. Water also helps with dehydration caused by both cannabis and alcohol.
Find a cool place to chill
Sometimes when you’re so fucked up on alcohol, your body will overheat and that’s what makes you finally throw up. That’s why it’s important to find a cool place to wait it out. When crossfaded, a cool place can sometimes be your only savior. See: kitchen floor mentioned above. Stick your head in the freezer for an extreme tactic to lower your body temperature.
Sleep it off
Closing your eyes will probably increase the spins. But as the crossfade weakens over time, you’ll find your body settling down from the ride, eventually allowing you to close your eyes and disappear from this world.
After chugging water while sitting inside the refrigerator, your best bet is to try and sleep off the rest of the crossfaded experience.
Have a supportive friend
The experience of ingesting substances is always safer and more controlled with a friend around. During a crossfade, having a friend who can help calm the anxiety you feel and the swirl of your thoughts will definitely make the comedown process a bit more manageable.
Best ways to avoid the crossfaded high
Don’t drink and smoke at the same time if you want to avoid the crossfade. Duh.
Choose a substance and stick with it. If you’re on alcohol for the night, stay there. If you’re on weed, stay there. The combination of the two could be way too powerful to mitigate and could completely ruin your social outing.
