Young adults may consume alcohol and cannabis together as a coping mechanism or to relieve stress. The behavior is common among adults who drink alcohol and is linked with more negative effects than using either substance by itself. Understanding more about reinforcement processes behind simultaneous use could reveal intervention targets and aid prevention efforts.
In the current study, researchers examined survey data on substance use from 88 adults aged between 18 and 45 years old. Data included a total of 6334 observations. Questions investigated whether or not participants had recently drunk alcohol or used cannabis alongside follow-up surveys detailing how they felt after use. Participants filled out questions over the course of the day after notification on their phone, minimizing the risk of misremembering how they felt.
Ultimately, the researchers found that using cannabis while drinking altered the subjective effects of alcohol use. They also found that using alcohol while using cannabis did not alter the subjective effects of cannabis use. They wrote that people might perceive that using cannabis alongside alcohol reduces the undesirable effects of coping-motivated drinking, thus encouraging simultaneous use.
“More research is needed to determine the extent of potential positive and negative effects of cannabis, but further research should also focus on understanding the psychological processes that reinforce simultaneous use,” Andrea Wycoff, PhD, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Missouri, said in a press release.
“Research studies should include people seeking treatment for substance use, as they are one of the main groups that we are hoping to help with our research efforts,” she added.
Sources: EurekAlert, Drug and Alcohol Dependence
