Weed May Reduce How Much You Drink, Researchers Say

Lighting up a joint might change how much you feel like reaching for a drink. That’s according to a new study revealing surprising ways cannabis seems to be affecting motivation to consume cannabis.

The new double-blind crossover randomized clinical trial conducted by a team of Brown University researchers examined dose-dependent acute effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on alcohol craving and consumption.

A total of 157 heavy alcohol and frequent cannabis users were randomized to smoke cannabis with either high (7.2%), medium (3.1%), or almost no THC (0.03%) over three experimental days.

After consuming marijuana, participants made a visit to a controlled “bar lab”, where they could choose to have up to eight mini alcoholic beverages, reported The Guardian.

The results, published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, showed that smoking cannabis didn’t change overall alcohol craving.

However, in participants who consumed high-THC cannabis, the immediate urge to drink was slightly reduced. People who smoked medium or high THC cannabis consumed less alcohol, showing a decrease of 27% (7.2% THC) and 19% (3.1% THC) relative to placebo.

“The findings suggest that smoked cannabis reduces alcohol consumption and, conversely, acute cannabis deprivation (i.e., in the placebo condition) may lead to compensatory increases in alcohol intake,” the researchers noted.