CBD is the active ingredient of cannabis that has no psychoactive properties, and it appears to be this ingredient rather than the THC (the ingredient that gets you high) that is associated with lower alcohol intake, according to a recent study.
Published in the journal Psychology of Addictive Behaviors the paper, titled “THC and CBD effects on alcohol use among alcohol and cannabis co-users” describes an observational study in which 120 cannabis and alcohol-using adults (average age 33, 39 percent female, and 83.3 percent white) were assigned to use one of three legal-market cannabis strains (predominantly THC, predominantly CBD, and CBD + THC) for 5 days.
The researchers gathered baseline data on drinking and cannabis use for the group in the 30 days prior to the study and again during the 5-day study period.
Despite being told they could use cannabis and alcohol in an unrestricted fashion over the five days, the CBD group drank fewer drinks per day, had fewer alcohol use days, and fewer days when they used alcohol and cannabis together. However, no differences emerged between the THC and the CBD plus THC group.
“The present study lends preliminary support to the notion that plant-based CBD may be associated with decreased alcohol consumption among regular cannabis users and suggests that it may be feasible for regular cannabis users to switch to a higher CBD, lower THC content cannabis strain for the purposes of reducing their alcohol intake,” the study’s authors concluded.
They added that cannabinoid content should be considered in studies of alcohol and cannabis co-use and that their findings were consistent with preclinical work, that had suggested CBD may be associated with decreased alcohol consumption.