Reducing the Risks of Drinking

Many Americans are trying to drink less alcohol, and with good reason. Could legally available cannabis beverages help them cut back and reduce the health risks associated with alcohol consumption? One study led by public health researchers at the University at Buffalo—the first to explore the question— suggests that they can.

While cannabis has been proposed as harm reduction for drugs such as opioids, the study, published earlier this year in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, is the first to focus on cannabis beverages specifically and their potential for alcohol harm reduction, says first author Jessica Kruger, clinical associate professor of community health and health behavior. 

Harm reduction is a public health strategy used to reduce the risks associated with substance use. It acknowledges that while abstinence is often best, not all people choose to practice it.

Alcohol consumption has been linked to at least seven types of cancer and nearly 200 health conditions and diseases. Cannabis, on the other hand, poses lower risks and harms, especially compared to heavy alcohol use.

The survey of 438 adults who reported using cannabis in the past year found that the majority, or nearly 56%, reported drinking alcoholic beverages. About one-third used cannabis beverages, typically consuming one per session, and these individuals were more likely to report substituting cannabis for alcohol.

In addition, they reported consuming fewer alcoholic drinks after they began drinking cannabis beverages—an average of 3.35 per week after compared to 7.02 before. They also reported binge drinking alcohol less frequently.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents (62.6%) answered that they had either reduced (61.5%) or stopped (1.1%) drinking alcohol as a result of drinking cannabis beverages; 3.3% reported increasing alcohol consumption.

The substitution of these drinks for alcohol has potential, say the researchers, because they offer a more socially acceptable method of cannabis consumption than smoking. Plus, people at parties or bars can still have a drink in their hand—just not an alcoholic one.

However, Kruger cautions, “I think we have a long way to go before this is seen as mainstream, as cannabis beverages are a new modality of use.” 

The research team say they plan to further explore the effect of cannabis drinks over time and compare modes of cannabis consumption.