Going California Sober: Study Suggests Cannabis May Help Reducing Drinking Consumption
New scientific investigation released in the American Journal of Psychiatry proposes that embracing a “California sober” method might significantly assist people lower their alcohol use.
The Study and Controlled Environment Scenario
Researchers from Brown University carried out a unique study where volunteers received cannabis cigarettes to smoke before visiting a specially designed simulated bar environment.
- Participants could choose to drink up to 8 mini alcoholic beverages.
- The experiment was repeated three separate times with different tetrahydrocannabinol potencies: 7.2%, 3.1%, and a placebo cannabis.
Significant effort was taken to replicate a authentic bar environment, complete with dim lighting and beer taps to guarantee participant authenticity.
“We wanted to make sure that when given the opportunity, you would be really driven to consume alcohol,” explained the lead researcher.
Significant Results and Effects on Drinking
Outcomes revealed a marked decrease in alcohol intake after participants smoked cannabis:
- Alcohol consumption dropped by 19% after using moderate-THC marijuana.
- Reduction was more significant with high-THC marijuana, leading to a twenty-seven percent decrease compared to the control.
Wider Trends and Additional Studies
Expanded legalization has driven a significant rise in marijuana usage, which has doubled over the past decade.
At the same time, drink use is at a historic low, with many turning to substitutes like marijuana.
Crucial to note that forty percent of trial subjects met the criteria for alcohol dependence.
Although marijuana might be a possible solution to heavy alcohol use, researchers caution that further research is required.
“We’re not ready to tell individuals in treatment for drinking problems, ‘Proceed and replace marijuana, and it will work out for you,’” a study author noted.
