Most marijuana consumers say that their cannabis consumption reduces their use of alcohol and many also report substituting it for other substances, including methamphetamine, morphine, and tobacco, according to survey data published in The Harm Reduction Journal.
New Zealand researchers assessed responses to an online survey provided by 23,500 participants with a history of cannabis use and other substances.
Respondents frequently reported that cannabis led to reductions in their use of other substances — a finding that is consistent with prior research. This substitution effect was most pronounced for alcohol, with 60 percent of subjects acknowledging that “using cannabis led to ‘less’ alcohol consumption.”
More than 40 percent of respondents reported that they substituted marijuana for morphine; 40 percent said that they did so for methamphetamine, and 35 percent acknowledged substituting cannabis for tobacco. Younger adults (ages 21 to 35) were more likely to report engaging in cannabis substitution than were older respondents.
“Significant proportions of people who use cannabis in our survey reported that using cannabis led to lower levels of alcohol and methamphetamine use, and this substitution impact of cannabis was consistent with this group’s lower consumption of these other drug types,” the study’s authors concluded. “Cannabis may be particularly appropriate in this role for individuals who do not wish or unable to stop the use of other substances completely.”
Observational studies have previously reported decreases in consumers’ alcohol use on days when they use cannabis. State-specific data also reports dips in alcohol sales in jurisdictions following the enactment of marijuana access laws. A pair of surveys published earlier this year found that between one-quarter and one-third of adults acknowledge reducing their alcohol use following marijuana legalization.
Commenting on the latest findings, NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: “This survey’s findings are an important addition to the growing body of literature suggesting that, in some instances, cannabis may act as an intervention for people seeking to reduce their alcohol consumption.”
The full text of the study, “Exploring the substitution of cannabis for alcohol and other drugs among a large convenience sample of people who use cannabis,” appears in The Harm Reduction Journal.
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