Going California Sober: Research Indicates Marijuana May Help Reducing Alcohol Consumption

Emerging research released in the prestigious psychiatry journal suggests that adopting a “California sober” approach could significantly assist people lower their alcohol consumption.

The Study and Bar Lab Setting

Researchers from Brown University carried out a unique study where participants were provided with marijuana joints to consume before entering a carefully constructed “bar lab”.

• Subjects could choose to drink up to eight small drinks.
• The trial was conducted three separate times with varying THC levels: 7.2%, 3.1%, and a 0.03% cannabis.

Great care was taken to replicate a authentic bar environment, complete with low light and beer taps to ensure participant authenticity.

“We wanted to ensure that when given the opportunity, you would be really driven to consume alcohol,” explained the principal investigator.

Significant Results and Effects on Drinking

Results revealed a marked decrease in drink intake after participants used cannabis:

• Alcohol intake dropped by nineteen percent after using 3.1% THC marijuana.
• The drop was more significant with high-THC marijuana, leading to a twenty-seven percent decrease compared to the placebo.

Wider Trends and Future Research

Expanded legal access has spurred a major surge in marijuana consumption, which has doubled over the past decade.

Meanwhile, drink consumption is at a historic low, with numerous individuals opting for substitutes like marijuana.

Crucial to note that forty percent of study subjects were diagnosed with alcohol dependence.

Although cannabis might be a possible alternative to excessive alcohol use, scientists warn that more study is needed.

“We’re not ready to advise individuals in treatment for alcohol, ‘Proceed and substitute marijuana, and it will work out for you,’” a study author noted.