(PubMed) This report examines whether participants in a study of treatments for marijuana dependence may have increased their use of alcohol when they reduced or ceased marijuana use. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four psychosocial treatments and followed at 3-month intervals for 1 year. Findings are from 207 cases with data at posttreatment and at least one other follow-up. 73% of cases reported an increase of at least 10% in drinking days over their level at intake, and 65% reported an increase of at least 10% in drinks per drinking day. Drinking increases were not related to treatment condition nor to change in marijuana use, but were related to baseline drinking: those with less baseline drinking tended to increase their drinking during treatment and those with more baseline drinking reported less drinking during treatment. Thereafter, drinking levels remained fairly stable throughout the follow-up year. The results are most likely reflective of a regression to the mean effect, and indicate that use of alcohol and marijuana are independent of one another.
Sounds like a question for Paul Armentano, author of the new book “Marijuana is Safer, So Why Are We Driving People to Drink“. But if I’m reading this right, it sounds like pot smokers who don’t drink will drink more when they are in marijuana “rehab” and pot smokers who do drink will drink less.
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