Certain people who use cannabis tend to drink less alcohol, a new study has found.
Researchers at the Center for Alcoholism Research at Brown University cannabis use influences alcohol craving and consumption. Specifically, whether smoking marijuana in heavy drinkers can reduce alcohol intake.
This randomized controlled study included 157 adults aged 21 to 44 who reported heavy drinking and regular cannabis use (at least every other week).
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Each participant completed three 2-hour “lab sessions” of various types. cannabis use. They were given one of two levels of THC or a placebo and then given the choice of drinking alcohol or accepting cash payment.
Those who smoked cannabis containing high levels of THC (7.2%) consumed about 27% less alcohol than those who smoked a placebo. They also reported an immediate reduction in their urge to drink.
Participants who smoked cannabis containing 3.1% THC smoked approximately 19% reduce alcohol.
“In a study in our controlled bar lab, after people smoked marijuana, the amount of alcohol they drank in the next two hours was reduced by about a quarter,” study lead author Dr. Jane Metric, professor of behavioral and social sciences at the Brown Alcoholism Research Center, told FOX News Digital.
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Cannabis had a mixed effect on alcohol craving, the researchers reported.
“Although we found that alcohol urges were significantly reduced immediately after smoking cannabis, we did not see consistent effects on other measures of alcohol craving,” Metric said. “This suggests that cannabis may not have a uniform effect on motivation to drink alcohol, and that other mechanisms may explain the effects of cannabis on subsequent drinking.” alcohol use. ”
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The study was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and published last month in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
The researchers acknowledged that the study had limitations.
“This study tested only one cannabinoid (THC) found in smoked cannabis, meaning the results may not be generalizable to a wide range of cannabis products, formulations, and other cannabinoids,” Metric told FOX News Digital. ” research sample It also includes people who use cannabis almost every day, so people who use cannabis infrequently may exhibit different alcohol-related behaviors. ”
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Researchers also did not examine the effects of using marijuana and alcohol together.
The researchers noted that because the study was short-term and conducted in a “laboratory” setting, it is unclear whether the reduction in alcohol intake would continue over time or in a real-world setting.
The researchers said their findings do not justify recommending cannabis as a substitute for alcohol for people with alcohol use disorders. addiction risk Because cannabis remains uncertain.
“It’s important to understand that the effects of cannabis vary widely from person to person,” Mitech said, noting that while the substance may reduce drinking in the short term, it also comes with its own risks.
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“Our study is a first step, and further long-term studies are needed before any public health conclusions can be drawn,” she said. “There is no clear evidence of the long-term safety and effectiveness of using cannabis as an alcohol treatment. At this time, we do not recommend using cannabis to reduce alcohol use.”
For people who already use cannabis in place of alcohol, Mytech recommends that they carefully monitor their use and be aware of the risks of cannabis use disorder. She also “strongly encourages” evidence-based thinking. alcohol treatment.
Dr. Marcel Bonmiller, a cannabis researcher at Ajna BioSciences in Colorado, said the study highlights current market trends that show a significant decline in alcohol sales as THC becomes more available.
“It will be important in the future as many consumers report using THC beverages and other non-inhalation delivery methods as alcohol replacements.” clinical trial “To determine the impact of these formats on long-term alcohol use behavior,” a researcher not involved in the study told FOX News Digital.
Leanna Durrett, director of the Cannabis Policy Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, praised the study’s “rigorous” design.
“Overall, this experimental design is an unusual feature in this field of research. It’s a really unique study because it’s logistically difficult to give cannabis to people in a lab (given its federal Schedule I status),” Durrett, who was also not involved in the study, told FOX News Digital.
The results are consistent with the “California abstinence” trend, where smoking marijuana may be a way to reduce the use of other substances, she noted.
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Durrett said some people have reported that cannabis has helped them recover from other substance use disorders, but its effects have not been extensively tested.
Experts agreed that while the study inferred that cannabis use did reduce alcohol consumption in a single session, there were still some unknowns, such as the long-term effects of cannabis use on alcohol consumption.
“Therefore, it is still possible that cannabis use may be harmful to health in the long term. Consequences of drinking“We also don’t know the ultimate effect of substituting one substance (such as alcohol) for another (such as cannabis),” she said.
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“It may be easy to believe that using cannabis instead of alcohol is a success, but we don’t know from current research whether that’s true.”
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“We hope that this study and similar studies can add tools to the toolkit on how to reduce problem drinking,” Durrett added.
Mitek noted that additional research is needed to assess “clinically relevant alcohol outcomes,” particularly among people seeking treatment for alcohol use disorders.
