CBD and Caffeine: Are They Safe Together?

Alexandra Campbell • February 1, 2019 • About CBD, FAQ

CBD, better known as cannabidiol, is becoming a household name due to its many presumed health benefits. While there is a growing body of research regarding CBD’s medicinal claims, there are still many gaps in evidence about the chemical’s interaction with other substances.

One combination of substances that is lacking in empirical findings is CBD and caffeine.

Industries everywhere are taking advantage of the CBD craze, especially in the medical and health and wellness communities. Among these industries are also some unlikely sectors jumping on the CBD bandwagon as well, such as bakeries, independent health food stores, and coffee shops.

The idea of CBD coffee is causing a bit of a head-scratch among some people. After all, one of CBD’s main claims to fame is its potential to relieve anxiety, lower stress, and enhance sleep.

Therefore, the combination of CBD and caffeine, on the surface, seems counterintuitive. At first glance, it appears that coffee’s potential anxiety-producing effects would rob the CBD of its supposed efficacy in treating anxiety. But there’s more to the story than meets the eye.

As for several CBD-related matters, there exists a lack of reliable evidence on the subject of CBD and caffeine. However, there is one study to date in which CBD and caffeine was the main focus.

Researchers performed the study in 2015 and found that chronic exposure to caffeine appears as a protective way to avoid the non-desired effects of high doses of CBD, at least on memory consolidation, through a mechanism involving an “adenosine receptor block.” It was made clear that more studies on caffeine and CBD interaction should be performed.

That’s the thing: there really isn’t much evidence on the interaction between CBD and caffeine. Without more robust evidence, we can still look into anecdotes, which might prove useful and offer some insight into possible interaction between the two substances. But it’s important to remember that from a scientific perspective, the safety, benefits, and potential interactions of the mix are still unknown.

In this article, we’ll take a look at the effects of CBD and caffeine from an experience-based standpoint, e.g., people who have tried CBD and caffeine together. Next, we’ll go over the ways that CBD interacts with the human body as well as how caffeine affects the human body, linking possible ways that CBD and caffeine might work together biophysically when ingested together.

CBD and Caffeine: Personal Experiences

True Story: CBD-Infused Coffee Has Changed My Life for the Better

One person who gave CBD and caffeine a try described the experience, which she now includes as a part of her morning ritual. She said it gives her a level of “happiness that irons out my nerves while allowing my much-needed coffee high to do its thing.” It goes without saying that this particular experimenter experienced positive results with CBD and caffeine.

Like many people who are hopping on the CBD train, Jahns tried a multitude of methods of ingesting CBD. There are so many options that almost everyone goes through a “trial and error” period, where he or she must experiment with dosing, the method of application, brand, etc.

After a series of slightly disappointing CBD results, Jahns gave CBD oil a shot, which just so happens to be one of the most popular and well-evidenced variety of CBD products. She put some drops of CBD oil into her morning coffee, thus creating this powerful “elixir,” as she calls it.

According to Jahns, her first experience with drinking CBD-infused coffee resulted in feelings of distinct calmness, even during a typically stressful time in her day. The particular combination of CBD and caffeine seems to have created an effect of productivity and mood-enhancement, without all the jitters that typically can come with caffeine.

Ultimately, Jahn’s experience, albeit a seemingly positive one, is just that–a personal experience. No evidence within her anecdote necessarily points to a definitively positive physical or mental response to CBD and caffeine taken together. It’s important to take into consideration that everyone’s journey with CBD is different, and although personal experiences can be helpful in gaining a better understanding of the possible effects of CBD, they certainly shouldn’t be taken as fact. It’s always best to consult with a doctor before ingesting any new chemical to the body.

I Drank CBD Coffee for a Week. Here’s What It Did to My Anxiety

In a similar CBD and caffeine experiment, another curious CBD-enthusiast seemed to garner positive results related to her anxiety.

It was a 5-day experiment involving CBD-infused ground coffee, unlike Jahns’ CBD oil-coffee cocktail. The experiment’s purpose was to assess whether or not the user’s work, anxiety, and focus would be affected by the newly introduced CBD.

On the first day, one dose of CBD in her coffee proved to be effective in helping focus without causing anxiety. However, adding a second dose, albeit through a different method of consumption, seemed to be “too much,” presumably leading her to a headache and an unplanned 2-hours of sleep at an inopportune time.

On day two, feelings of alertness and calmness proceed her first drink, comparing it to the effects of Xanax, a sentiment shared by quite a few people. By the third day, some sleepiness came in but was presumably unrelated to the CBD. The fourth day of her experiment didn’t go over so well, resulting in feelings of anxiety, another headache, and daytime sleepiness. However, it’s possible that none of the adverse effects were directly related to the CBD.

On the last day of her experiment, some sluggishness occurred, leading the author to conclude that she most likely preferred regular coffee to CBD coffee, rendering her experience with CBD and caffeine vastly different from the first experimenter’s.

CBD and Caffeine: Potential Benefits and Pitfalls

Based on the above two experiments experience with CBD and caffeine, we’re still left wondering about what the particular effects of the combination are.

Unfortunately, without hard science, we can only rely on anecdotal experiences such as those explained above. However, it is useful to consider the potential benefits of combining CBD and caffeine while keeping in mind the lessons of the two people above.

CBD and Caffeine: Benefits and Pitfalls

While caffeine holds several advantages, it often increases stress and anxiety, which is certainly a con.

CBD, however, could theoretically counteract the nervousness reaction of coffee and caffeine.

Proponents of CBD and caffeine suggest that the combination has the potential to boost energy and reduce anxiety simultaneously. However, caffeine also has the tendency to cause a “crash,” when it wears off. Some claim that CBD can cause drowsiness (though this may be no more than a rumor), and this could be counterproductive to those who are hoping to be more efficient in work through using CBD and caffeine.

Another possible benefit of both CBD and caffeine is that both substances have antioxidant properties, which help to protect the body from toxins.

Ultimately this is another CBD-related topic we’ll have to have patience about. Until more empirical evidence is conducted, we can only rely on the minimal research we currently have and anecdotal evidence. Given CBD’s growing popularity, and caffeine’s already widespread popularity, the chances are good that we’ll be seeing more studies soon.