Sometimes the feeling drink beer may be very similar to smoke marijuana. Drowsiness, ravenous hunger, disinhibition… Well, this happens to some extent with any alcoholic drink, but the truth is, it seems stronger with beer. What could be causing this? Is there any connection between both substances? This may seem like a coincidence, but there is actually an interesting relationship. The fact is that cannabis and hops used in brewing belong to the same family: hemp.
Hops are extracted from the plant Humulus lupulus and marijuana plant Cannabis sativa. Both belong to family Hempalthough their uses are very different. It is important to clarify that hops do not contain cannabinoids. Thus, drinking beer in this sense is not comparable to using cannabis. However, they do share some terpenes that contribute to the aroma of both substances and, to a certain extent, to some of their effects.
There are even those who note that drinking beer and smoking marijuana at the same time can enhance the effects of both. But before we talk about what was said attitude, You can already tell that this is not the best idea at all.
Distant relatives, but with some similarities
dried hop flowers They have been used in brewing for about a thousand years. The production of this drink is much older, but it was not flavored in this way until German brewers discovered its use in the 11th century. In fact, as beer biologist Oscar Huertas told us, a curious fact is that the first person to describe the preservative powers of hops was a nun. Mother Superior Hildegard of Bingen While studying the plant from which it was obtained, he noticed that it was used for more than just flavor. He could also help preserve this widely consumed drink in his country.
There are different types of hops that They impart different aromas and flavors to beer. And they all have the same relationship with marijuana. With the latter it is preferable to use leaves and budsbecause right here tetrahydrocannabinolthat the cannabinoid is responsible for the psychoactive effects of smoking marijuana. When we drink alcohol, we do not experience these effects, but we experience those that have already been mentioned. What are the reasons?
Drinking beer is still drinking alcohol.
Drinking beer is sometimes said to cause extreme hunger because hops are related to cannabis. However, drinking any other alcoholic drink causes the same effect in this sense. In studies on mice, it was observed that when they drink alcohol, the activity of some neurons called AGRP. These are the ones associated with the feeling of hunger. Moreover, in this case the mice ate noticeably more. However, when the action of these neurons was artificially suppressed, it did not matter how much alcohol they drank. Mice They continued to eat normally.
It is common knowledge that alcohol affects the nervous system and this is another way to do it. This happens with any drink, not just beer. However, the reasons why cannabis causes hunger are varied.
Terpenes that matter
Terpenes chemicals of plant origin, usually responsible for the characteristic aromas of plants. But its only function is not to emit a smell. They can have many other effects, both positive and negative.
Plants in the hemp family contain a variety of terpenes, some specific and others shared. For example, in the case of hops, one that is found in abundance is known as humulene. It is also found in cannabis, but in smaller quantities. Interestingly, when combined with cannabinoids found only in marijuana, it can block the feeling of hunger associated with drinking beer and smoking marijuana.
But that’s not a good idea combine both habitssince one of the common factors between hops and cannabis is that they can cause drowsiness or dizziness, which together become dangerous. Especially in combination with alcohol. And all this without forgetting that even using both substances separately already has enough side effects to avoid them.
Yes, it’s true that the combination terpenes from hops and hemp They give them similar flavors. In the case of beer, some of the aroma is lost during the brewing process. That’s why beer doesn’t smell like marijuana to us. But, if you look closely, there are certain general nuances.
In any case, we have nothing to lose by insisting once again: neither beer nor marijuana is healthy. The harm from it is many times greater than the benefit. Don’t look in this article for any justification for using them.
Source: Hiper Textual
