Young adults who use cannabis and alcohol together on the same day are driven more by cannabis-related motivations
On days when young adults used both alcohol and cannabis, cannabis-related enhancement and social motives were the strongest predictors of co-use.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Greater cannabis-related enhancement and social motives were associated with increased likelihood of same-day alcohol/cannabis co-use compared to cannabis-only days. Alcohol-related social motives showed a weaker, non-significant association in adjusted models.
Key Numbers
97 participants; ages 18-25; 28 daily assessments; 126 alcohol-only days; 805 cannabis-only days; 237 co-use days
How They Did This
28-day daily diary study of 97 young adults aged 18-25, recruited from an urban emergency department, who received daily text message assessments about substance use and motives. Fixed effects regression estimated within-person effects.
Why This Research Matters
Same-day use of alcohol and cannabis increases the risk of negative consequences. Understanding that cannabis-related positive affect motives drive co-use may help intervention programs target the right motivations.
The Bigger Picture
These findings suggest co-use isn't simply about alcohol escalating to cannabis or vice versa. The desire to enhance positive experiences through cannabis appears to be the primary motivator, which could inform how prevention programs address polysubstance use.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Emergency department sample may not generalize to the broader population, self-reported motives, relatively small sample, short 28-day observation period.
Questions This Raises
- ?Do co-use motives differ in older adults or non-clinical populations?
- ?Would interventions targeting enhancement motives actually reduce co-use frequency?
- ?What role does the social environment play beyond individual motives?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 237 co-use days recorded, driven primarily by cannabis enhancement motives
- Evidence Grade:
- Daily diary study with a small sample from an emergency department setting
- Study Age:
- Published in 2021 based on data from an urban emergency department population.
- Original Title:
- Alcohol and cannabis motives: Differences in daily motive endorsement on alcohol, cannabis, and alcohol/cannabis co-use days in a cannabis-using sample.
- Published In:
- Addiction research & theory, 29(2), 111-116 (2021)
- Authors:
- Arterberry, Brooke J(2), Goldstick, Jason E, Walton, Maureen A(4), Cunningham, Rebecca M, Blow, Frederic C, Bonar, Erin E
- Database ID:
- RTHC-02981
Evidence Hierarchy
Follows a group of people over time to track how outcomes develop.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Why do people use alcohol and cannabis together?
This study found that cannabis-related motives for enhancing positive feelings and socializing were the strongest predictors of same-day co-use, more so than alcohol-related motives.
Is using alcohol and cannabis together more risky?
The researchers note that same-day use of both substances increases the risk of negative consequences compared to using either alone, though this study focused on motives rather than outcomes.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02981APA
Arterberry, Brooke J; Goldstick, Jason E; Walton, Maureen A; Cunningham, Rebecca M; Blow, Frederic C; Bonar, Erin E. (2021). Alcohol and cannabis motives: Differences in daily motive endorsement on alcohol, cannabis, and alcohol/cannabis co-use days in a cannabis-using sample.. Addiction research & theory, 29(2), 111-116. https://doi.org/10.1080/16066359.2020.1787390
MLA
Arterberry, Brooke J, et al. "Alcohol and cannabis motives: Differences in daily motive endorsement on alcohol, cannabis, and alcohol/cannabis co-use days in a cannabis-using sample.." Addiction research & theory, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1080/16066359.2020.1787390
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Alcohol and cannabis motives: Differences in daily motive en..." RTHC-02981. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/arterberry-2021-alcohol-and-cannabis-motives
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.