Study: Smoking Cannabis May Reduce Short-Term Alcohol Consumption

A study published Tuesday in the *American Journal of Psychiatry *suggests
that smoking cannabis can lead to lower short-term alcohol consumption.

The study The researchers from Brown University found that study
participants who smoked cannabis with 3.1% THC reduced their alcohol
consumption by 19% and those who smoked cannabis with 7.2% THC reduced
their alcohol consumption by 27%.

“Following overnight cannabis abstinence, smoking cannabis acutely
decreased alcohol consumption compared to placebo. Further controlled
research on a variety of cannabinoids is needed to inform clinical alcohol
treatment guidelines.” — “Acute Effects of Cannabis on Alcohol Craving and
Consumption: A Randomized Controlled Crossover Trial,” *Americal Journal of
Psychiatry, *11/18/25

In an interview with Stat News, Jane Metrik, the study’s lead author and
psychologist at Brown, warned against using the findings as a
validation that cannabis is a less harmful substitute for
alcohol, especially for those who meet criteria for alcohol use disorder
or want to reduce their drinking.

“Under these controlled conditions, people are reducing alcohol consumption
after smoking cannabis,” Metrik said. “We don’t know yet if that actually
translates to fewer alcohol-related harms. … It’s far too early to
recommend cannabis as a safe or effective substitute or harm reduction
alternative to alcohol.”