Does cannabis help with alcoholism? Researchers found surprising results
A Brown University randomized trial finds cannabis may reduce alcohol consumption by 19–27 per cent, offering the strongest experimental evidence behind the “California sober” idea.
A team of researchers at Brown University ran a randomised placebo-controlled trial to understand whether cannabis (weed) can reduce questionable alcohol consumption. The results are nothing short of extraordinary, however, with mild caveats. They ran a lab experiment where participants smoked cannabis and were subsequently provided the option to drink, to understand the desire for alcoholism. The study ‘California Sober’ marks the first such experiment where researchers tried to establish a causal relation between the two variables,s not just observational associations.
157 people in the age group of 21-44 with heavy alcohol consumption habit and cannabis consumption habit at least twice a week, had three different lab visits each and in each such visit, they were given three such conditions
- High THC-cannabis (7.2 per cent)
- Low THC-cannabis (3.1 per cent)
- Placebo cannabis (0 per cent)
After consuming, they were asked to visit an experimental bar lab where they were given 8 mini-drinks, good enough to raise the body alcohol levels to at least 10 percent,t and those who chose to opt out of drinking were given a small cash reward.
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What researchers discovered?
The findings offered strong experimental evidence; they observed a clear and measurable reduction in alcohol urges. Those who consumed low THC-cannabis drank nearly one-fifth less than those who consumed high THC-cannabis; they drank one-quarter less alcohol than those with a placebo. Moreover, they waited longer before taking their first drink than after the placebo. However, there is a preliminary caution: cannabis consumption has its own disadvantages. They found results for subsequent consumption habits, not for simultaneous usage habits. The risk of co-use might skew differently. Though there are prior researches which also contribute to the narrative that CBD, a non-intoxicating component of cannabis, can reduce alcohol consumption. These effects can vary if the process is continued for a longer duration.