Medical cannabis patients who reduced alcohol use tended to have anxiety, PTSD, and used cannabis for sleep
Among 112 dispensary patients, those who reduced alcohol after starting medical cannabis were more likely to have anxiety, PTSD, and sleep disorders, and were more likely to use cannabis specifically for sleep, compared to those who did not change alcohol use.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Alcohol abaters and non-abaters did not differ in age, sex, or prior drug history. However, abaters were more likely to have anxiety (59.6% vs 40.6%), PTSD, and sleep disorders. They also used higher cannabis doses and were more likely to use cannabis for sleep.
Key Numbers
47 abaters, 65 non-abaters. Abaters: 59.6% anxiety vs 40.6% non-abaters. Abaters used higher cannabis doses and more frequently used cannabis for sleep.
How They Did This
Exploratory cross-sectional study comparing 47 medical cannabis patients who reduced alcohol use (abaters) to 65 who did not (non-abaters) at dispensaries. Demographics, dosing, and health conditions were compared.
Why This Research Matters
If certain patient profiles are more likely to reduce alcohol after starting medical cannabis, this could help identify patients for whom cannabis might serve as a harm reduction tool for alcohol misuse.
The Bigger Picture
The pattern suggests that some patients may be substituting cannabis for alcohol specifically to manage anxiety, PTSD, and sleep problems, conditions that are common reasons for problematic alcohol use.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Small, self-selected sample from dispensaries. Self-reported alcohol reduction without objective verification. Cross-sectional design cannot confirm that cannabis caused the alcohol reduction. No control for overall alcohol use levels.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would a prospective study confirm that medical cannabis reduces alcohol use in these patient subgroups?
- ?Is the alcohol reduction sustained over time?
- ?Are there patients for whom cannabis substitution would be harmful rather than helpful?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Alcohol abaters more likely to have anxiety (60% vs 41%)
- Evidence Grade:
- Preliminary: small exploratory cross-sectional study without objective outcome measures.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2020 in Journal of Psychoactive Drugs.
- Original Title:
- Characteristics of Dispensary Patients that Limit Alcohol after Initiating Cannabis.
- Published In:
- Journal of psychoactive drugs, 52(2), 145-152 (2020)
- Authors:
- Hayat, Assad, Piper, Brian J(11)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-02606
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does medical cannabis help people drink less?
This study found that some patients reported drinking less after starting medical cannabis, but it cannot prove that cannabis caused the reduction. The patients who reduced alcohol had specific characteristics (anxiety, PTSD, sleep problems) that may explain the pattern.
Is substituting cannabis for alcohol safer?
That depends on individual circumstances. While alcohol carries significant health risks, cannabis also has potential harms. The study suggests that for some patients with anxiety and sleep disorders, cannabis may address the underlying reasons they were drinking.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02606APA
Hayat, Assad; Piper, Brian J. (2020). Characteristics of Dispensary Patients that Limit Alcohol after Initiating Cannabis.. Journal of psychoactive drugs, 52(2), 145-152. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2019.1694199
MLA
Hayat, Assad, et al. "Characteristics of Dispensary Patients that Limit Alcohol after Initiating Cannabis.." Journal of psychoactive drugs, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2019.1694199
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Characteristics of Dispensary Patients that Limit Alcohol af..." RTHC-02606. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/hayat-2020-characteristics-of-dispensary-patients
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.