September 14, 2025

Chronic cognitive impairment in users of ‘ecstasy’ and cannabis

With that in mind, the more crack you use, the more heroin you’re going to use to balance yourself out, raising the risk of overdose. Combining weed and booze has traditionally been a great way to make yourself feel really dizzy and sick. If you enjoy purposefully making yourself feel like that, says Winstock, make sure to stay away from the wheel—or, if your designated driver has been smoking weed and drinking, make them sit on their hands until they’re sober, then allow them to drive you home. Studies suggest that while this cocaethylene substance might stick around longer in the blood than cocaine, therefore lengthening the euphoria, it also may be more cardio-toxic than cocaine, i.e. not good for you in any conceivable way.

This mdma and weed increases the risk of adverse reactions such as hyperthermia and serotonin toxicity, particularly when combined with cannabis, which may further modulate CYP activity. These genetic factors highlight the variability in individual responses to concurrent cannabis and MDMA use, underscoring the need for personalized considerations in harm reduction and substance use research. THC influences serotonergic tone by modulating 5-HT1A receptor activity, which plays a role in mood regulation and stress response. When combined with MDMA, which induces rapid serotonin release followed by depletion, THC’s interaction with serotonergic pathways may either mitigate or exacerbate deficits. Some studies suggest cannabis use before MDMA blunts serotonin depletion, while others indicate chronic cannabis exposure worsens MDMA-induced serotonergic downregulation.

While seemingly innocuous, the combination of marijuana and Ecstasy has the potential to be very dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. Understanding the side effects and dangers of taking these drugs independently and together can empower people to make informed decisions. Like cannabis, MDMA is a Schedule I controlled substance at the federal level in the United States.

Potential Risks

In some places, marijuana is still illegal and classified as a controlled substance, while in others, it is legal for adults to possess and use for recreational or medical purposes. However, it only started to get attention in the 1970s, when therapists began using it to treat PTSD, anxiety and addiction. They found that it could be used in sessions to promote trust and safety, helping patients to open up and process traumatic experiences. It was dubbed “molly” because the acronym MDMA can be challenging to say, and “ecstasy” for its intense euphoric effects. Its popularity surged as it made its way deep into the party and rave scenes, prompting the US government to make it illegal in 1985. Concurrent cannabis and MDMA use introduces physiological complexities beyond their individual effects.

It is important for individuals to educate themselves about the differences between MDMA and marijuana and make informed decisions about their drug use. In conclusion, MDMA and weed are two popular recreational drugs with distinct differences in terms of their chemical composition, effects, risks, and legal status. While MDMA is a synthetic stimulant that enhances mood and sensory perception, weed is a plant-based substance that promotes relaxation and altered perception. Both substances carry potential risks and side effects that users should be aware of, and the legality of MDMA and weed varies depending on the country and jurisdiction. Ultimately, the choice to use MDMA or weed should be made with caution and consideration of the potential consequences. MDMA and marijuana are both psychoactive substances that can alter mood and perception.

  • This drug is famous for being used at parties, raves, or nightclubs as a primary drug of misuse.
  • Because of practical and ethical reasons, there’s not much research on how marijuana and ecstasy interact.
  • However, they’re all substances that can cause psychotic symptoms or paranoia, so combining them clearly isn’t the best way to reduce the risk of experiencing those side effects.
  • However, a more complex effect with MDMA and cannabispotentiating or diminishing the impact of the other on cognition cannot beruled out.
  • MDMA, also known as ecstasy, is a stimulant that increases energy, empathy, and feelings of euphoria.

MDMA and weed are two popular recreational drugs that are often compared due to their effects on the mind and body. While both substances can alter mood and perception, they have distinct differences in terms of their chemical composition, effects, and potential risks. In this article, we will explore the attributes of MDMA and weed to provide a comprehensive comparison of these two substances. We found discrete deficits in memory and learning compared to drug naïvecontrols, which were both verbal (immediate recall of words from a list, digitsequence learning) and non-verbal (face recognition and spatial associativelearning). Other cognitive functions were intact, including executive/frontallobe functions, attention and verbal and non-verbal working memory. Both sidesof the brain were implicated and the patterned deficit profile excluded explanationsbased on non-specific factors such as subjects’ motivation.

  • Subjects had consumed averages of tablets across the different groups and included a group of ex-MDMA userswho had been abstinent for at least 6 months.
  • While each drug has distinct effects, their simultaneous use creates interactions that alter their individual impacts.
  • While seemingly innocuous, the combination of marijuana and Ecstasy has the potential to be very dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.

The Effects of Ecstasy and Similar Drugs

Bowden-Jones says that, despite its popularity, he has seen “very little research” into the effects of combining the two drugs. “We know that ketamine can be a sedative and MDMA a stimulant, but judging the right balance of the two is incredibly difficult,” he says. “There are different boxes of substances, stimulants, sedatives, hallucinogens, dissociatives.

In some cases, individuals intentionally take them together to balance out the negative effects of coming down from Ecstasy or to increase the sense of euphoria both drugs can provide. In the 1970s and 1980s studies were roughly equally divided withrespect to positive and negative results. In general abstinence periods were less than 24 hours or unrecorded,thus drug residue effects may easily have explained findings. Both drugs can seriously impact physical wellness, emotional mood and cognitive function — especially when compounded.

Health & Wellness

Although ecstasy is generally a recreational drug, some evidence suggests it could help people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A 2021 study published in the journal Nature Medicine showed that MDMA could have therapeutic benefits for some people with PTSD. Cannabis has also shown promise in helping to treat PTSD and other mental health disorders. MDMA is not approved for medical use in the United States, but it has shown promise in the treatment of certain mental health conditions such as PTSD and depression. Some studies have found that MDMA-assisted therapy can help individuals process traumatic experiences and improve their mental well-being. On the other hand, marijuana has been legalized for medical use in many states and countries, with research suggesting that it can be effective in treating a variety of conditions such as chronic pain, nausea, and epilepsy.

Effects on the Body

Frequent smokingmay lead to an accumulation of CNS cannabinoids and a drug residue effectmay persist for much longer and may be continuously present. It is likelyto include impaired focussed attention and working memory as well as impairedvisual and verbal memory. There is less evidence for chronic neurotoxic effectsfollowing cannabis; however, there may be more subtle deficits influencingattention, such as those demonstrated electrophysiologically which appearto be related to duration of cannabis use. However, a more complex effect with MDMA and cannabispotentiating or diminishing the impact of the other on cognition cannot beruled out. MDMA, also known as ecstasy, is a synthetic drug that belongs to the amphetamine class of drugs.

EARLY STUDIES ON MDMA AND COGNITION

On the other hand, weed is legal for medical or recreational use in an increasing number of countries and states. However, there are still strict regulations surrounding the cultivation, distribution, and consumption of weed, and penalties for violating these laws can vary. Morgan et al (44) suggested thatcognitive impairment resulting from MDMA might be a long-lasting phenomenon.Deficits in verbal recall and working memory persisted for at least 6 monthsand for an average of 2 years after cessation of use. Finally, looking at electrophysiological evidence of attention impairment,Solowij et al (29,30) examined cortical event related potentials for anomaliesof processing negativity in an auditory detection task.

And then there’s THC, which is the main psychoactive component—it’s the reason weed gives you the relaxed and “euphoric” sensation of being high. MDMA primarily affects monoamine neurotransmitters—serotonin (5-HT), dopamine (DA), and norepinephrine (NE). It enters presynaptic neurons via monoamine transporters, particularly the serotonin transporter (SERT), and disrupts vesicular storage by interacting with the vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2).

CBD, in particular, has gained popularity for its potential anti-inflammatory and anti-anxiety properties. Shortly after the above studies, in 1999, we instigated a study of MDMArecruiting participants via advertisements in the popular press (11). The sample size of 36 was relatively large for the fieldand MDMA use was greater than in most preceding studies (estimated mean 235tablets). Subjects were identified for whom MDMA was the primary drug andwho reported using other drugs only irregularly. Thus, impairmentswere unlikely to represent either acute MDMA effects, which last approximately3-5 hours after a dose (12), or lingeringeffects which may last several days and may reflect the time course of regenerationof 5-HT. Taking MDMA leads to an acute massive neuronal release of serotonin (5-HT),followed by a period of depletion before levels return to normal.

Over time, those who combine the drugs may notice problems like poor memory, increased depression and lack of motivation, all of which interfere with day-to-day life. One common type of polysubstance use is combining marijuana with molly, or ecstasy. In this article, we’ll explore the different effects of marijuana and ecstasy, what happens when they’re combined and why mixing them is a concern.

Ravina
+ posts

Ravina Pandya,  Content Writer, has a strong foothold in the market research industry. She specializes in writing well-researched articles from different industries, including food and beverages, information and technology, healthcare, chemical and materials, etc. With an MBA in E-commerce, she has an expertise in SEO-optimized content that resonates with industry professionals.

Ravina Pandya

Ravina Pandya,  Content Writer, has a strong foothold in the market research industry. She specializes in writing well-researched articles from different industries, including food and beverages, information and technology, healthcare, chemical and materials, etc. With an MBA in E-commerce, she has an expertise in SEO-optimized content that resonates with industry professionals.

View all posts by Ravina Pandya →