"A team of Brown University researchers conducted a study in which participants were given marijuana joints to smoke and then sent out to a controlled bar lab, in which they then were given the choice to have up to eight mini alcoholic beverages. The experiment was conducted three separate times: once with 7.2% THC cannabis, once with 3.1% THC cannabis and once with 0.03% THC cannabis, which was considered a placebo."
"A major component of the study was the replication of a real-life bar, complete with dark lighting and drinks on tap. Jane Metrik, a professor of behavioral and social science at Brown University who led the study, stressed the importance of authenticity for participants, telling NPR that we wanted to make sure that when given the opportunity, you would be really driven to drink."
"Expanded legalization efforts have led to a major surge in marijuana usage its consumption has doubled over the past 10 years, according to a 2024 Gallup survey. Alcohol consumption is at a record low, with many turning to alternatives such as weed. Of the participants in the Brown trial, however, 40% met the criteria for alcohol use disorder. While cannabis could serve as a potential solution to heavy drinking, Metrik acknowledged that there is still more research to be done."
Participants smoked cannabis joints with three THC levels (0.03%, 3.1%, 7.2%) and then entered a replicated bar lab where they could choose up to eight mini alcoholic drinks. Alcohol intake fell by 19% after 3.1% THC cannabis and by 27% after 7.2% THC cannabis compared with the placebo condition. The lab replicated real-world bar cues to increase ecological validity. Broader context shows marijuana use has risen while alcohol consumption has declined. Forty percent of trial participants met criteria for alcohol use disorder. Researchers emphasize that more research is needed before recommending cannabis as a substitution treatment for heavy drinking.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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