Study reveals how medical cannabis can counter alcohol abuse

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Controlled cannabis consumption can lead to reduced alcohol use

Canadian researchers believe medical cannabis can lower alcohol consumption in some patients. The research from the survey showed less alcohol consumption when some patients began using medical cannabis.

The study of 2,102 patients enrolled in Canada’s medical cannabis program found 973 reporting that they had consumed alcohol a minimum of ten times in the year before they began using medical cannabis. Of the patients surveyed, 44% reported consuming alcohol less often, and 34% had decreased the number of alcoholic drinks they had each week. The researchers found that higher rates of alcohol consumption in the pre-cannabis period increased the odds of patients reducing their alcohol consumption.

“Since alcohol is the most prevalent recreational substance in North America, and its use results in significant rates of criminality, morbidity and mortality, these findings may result in improved health outcomes for medical cannabis patients, as well as overall improvements in public health and safety,” explain the researchers. They published the findings of the new study in the International Journal of Drug Policy.

According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Addiction, at least 20% of drinkers consume an amount that is more than is recommended in Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines. The researchers noted that there were an estimated 77,000 cases of people needing to be hospitalized in Canada due to alcohol abuse during the period covering 2015–and 2016, compared to only 75,000 cases of people being hospitalized for heart attacks during the same period.