Going California Sober: Study Suggests Cannabis May Help Cutting Down Drinking Consumption
New research released in the prestigious psychiatry journal suggests that adopting a sober lifestyle involving cannabis method could significantly help individuals lower their drink use.
Research Methodology and Controlled Environment Setting
Researchers from Brown University carried out a unique experiment where participants were provided with marijuana joints to smoke before visiting a carefully constructed simulated bar environment.
- Subjects had the option to drink up to eight mini alcoholic beverages.
- The experiment was conducted three separate times with varying tetrahydrocannabinol levels: 7.2%, 3.1%, and a 0.03% marijuana.
Great care was taken to replicate a authentic bar environment, complete with low light and beer taps to ensure subject authenticity.
“Our goal was to make sure that when given the opportunity, you would be really driven to consume alcohol,” stated the principal investigator.
Significant Results and Impact on Drinking
Outcomes revealed a marked reduction in alcohol consumption after subjects smoked marijuana:
- Alcohol intake dropped by 19% after using 3.1% THC cannabis.
- Reduction was even more pronounced with 7.2% THC cannabis, leading to a twenty-seven percent decrease versus the control.
Wider Trends and Additional Studies
Expanded legal access has spurred a significant rise in marijuana usage, which has doubled over the past decade.
Meanwhile, drink use is at a historic low, with many turning to substitutes like marijuana.
Crucial to note that forty percent of study participants were diagnosed with alcohol use disorder.
While cannabis could serve as a possible solution to heavy alcohol use, researchers warn that more study is needed.
“It is premature to tell people seeking treatment for drinking problems, ‘Proceed and substitute cannabis, and it will work out for you,’” the lead researcher noted.
