Heavy drinkers reduce alcohol consumption by nearly 30% after adopting a new habit, study finds

Certain people who use cannabis tend to drink less alcohol, according to a new study.

Researchers at Brown University’s Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies set out to determine whether cannabis use has an effect on alcohol craving and consumption, specifically whether smoking marijuana can reduce alcohol consumption in heavy drinkers.

The randomized, controlled study included 157 adults ages 21 to 44 who reported heavy drinking and regular cannabis use (at least biweekly).

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Each participant completed three two-hour “lab sessions” with different types of cannabis use. They received one of two levels of THC or a placebo, and then were given the option of drinking alcohol or accepting a cash payment.

Those who smoked cannabis with the highest level of THC (7.2%) consumed about 27% less alcohol than those who smoked a placebo. They also reported an immediate reduction in the urge to drink.

Participants who smoked cannabis with 3.1% THC smoked about 19% less alcohol.

“In our controlled laboratory study in a bar, after people smoked cannabis, they drank about a quarter less alcohol over the next two hours,” the study’s lead author, Jane Metrik, Ph.D., a professor of social and behavioral sciences at Brown’s Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, told News Digital.

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The researchers reported that cannabis had mixed effects on alcohol cravings.

“We found a significant decrease in desire to drink alcohol immediately after smoking cannabis, but no consistent effect on a different measure of desire to drink alcohol,” Metrik said. “This suggests that cannabis may not exert a uniform effect on alcohol motivation, and that other mechanisms may also explain how cannabis affects subsequent alcohol use.”

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The study, which was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, was published last month in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Risks and limitations

The study had limitations, the researchers acknowledged.

“The study tested only one cannabinoid (THC) in smoked cannabis, meaning the results may not generalize to a wide range of cannabis products, formulations and other cannabinoids,” Metrik told News Digital. “The study sample also consisted of people who used cannabis almost every day, so those who use cannabis less frequently may show different alcohol-related behaviors.”

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The researchers also did not look at the effects of using cannabis and alcohol at the same time.

Because the research was short-term and conducted in a “laboratory” setting, it is unclear whether the reduction in alcohol consumption would continue in the long term or in real-world settings, they noted.

The study results do not justify recommending cannabis as a substitute for alcohol among people with alcohol use disorder, the researchers said, as the long-term health effects and addiction risks of cannabis remain uncertain.

“It’s important to understand that the impact of cannabis varies substantially between individuals,” Mitek said, noting that while the substance can reduce alcohol consumption in the short term, it also presents its own risks.

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“Our study is a first step and we need more long-term research before drawing conclusions for public health,” he said. “We do not have clear evidence of the long-term safety and effectiveness of using cannabis as a treatment for alcohol. At this time, I would not recommend using cannabis to reduce alcohol consumption.”

For people who are already substituting alcohol for cannabis, Mitek recommends that they closely monitor their use and be aware of the risk of developing a cannabis use disorder. It also “strongly encourages” them to consider evidence-based alcohol treatments.

Experts say

Marcel Bonn-Miller, Ph.D., a cannabis researcher at Ajna BioSciences in Colorado, noted that the study highlights current market trends, which show that alcohol sales have decreased significantly as THC has become more accessible.

“In our controlled laboratory study in a bar, after people smoked cannabis, they drank about a quarter less alcohol over the next two hours.”

“Given that many consumers report using THC-containing beverages and other non-inhaled delivery methods as alternatives to alcohol, it would be important for future clinical trials to determine the effect of these formats on alcohol consumption behavior over time,” the researcher, who was not involved in the study, told News Digital.

Riana Durrett, director of the Cannabis Policy Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, praised the study’s “rigorous” design.

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“Overall, the experimental design is a rare feature in this area of ​​research because it can be logistically difficult to administer cannabis to people in the lab (given its federal Schedule I status), so this is a really unique study,” Durrett, who was also not involved in the study, told News Digital.

The results align with the “California sober” trend, where smoking cannabis can be a way to reduce other substance use, he noted.

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While some people have reported that cannabis has helped them recover from other substance use disorders, the effect has not been thoroughly tested, according to Durrett.

The expert agreed that while the study infers that cannabis use decreases alcohol consumption in a single session, there are some unknowns, including the long-term effects of cannabis use on alcohol consumption.

“Therefore, it is still possible that, in the long term, cannabis use may be detrimental to alcohol use outcomes,” he said. “We also don’t know the net effect of swapping one substance (like alcohol) for another (like cannabis).”

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“It may be easy to believe that using cannabis instead of alcohol is a win, but we really don’t know if that’s true or not based on current research.”

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Durrett added: “Hopefully, this study and others like it can add tools to our toolkit on how to reduce problem drinking.”

Mitek noted that additional research is needed to evaluate the “clinically relevant outcomes of alcohol,” particularly among people seeking treatment for alcohol use disorder.