Separate and combined effects of alcohol and cannabis on mood, subjective experience, cognition and psychomotor performance: A randomized trial.
C. Wickens, Madison Wright, R. Mann, B. Brands, P. di Ciano, G. Stoduto, Andrew Fares, Justin Matheson, T. George, J. Rehm, P. Shuper, B. Sproule, Andriy Samohkvalov, M. Huestis, B. Le Foll
Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry May 1, 2022 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2022.110570 (opens in new tab) via Semantic Scholar
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractIn healthy young adults who use both alcohol and cannabis, the two drugs produce largely separate effects: cannabis primarily alters mood and subjective experience, while alcohol impairs cognitive and psychomotor performance. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 28 participants aged 19–29, those who received active cannabis (12.5% THC) showed greater increases in tension-anxiety, confusion, euphoria, and sedation compared to placebo, but minimal changes in cognition. Alcohol (target breath alcohol content 80 mg/dL) caused declines in verbal recall, digit-symbol substitution, and fine motor speed, with little effect on mood. Combining the two drugs produced additive effects, not synergistic.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Within-subjects, double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 28 |
| Population | Healthy cannabis users aged 19-29 years with recent history of binge drinking |
| Interventions | alcohol cannabis |
| Dose | alcohol target breath alcohol content 80 mg/dL; cannabis 12.5% THC |
| Duration | Four sessions; assessments before and approximately 75 min after drinking alcohol (1 h after smoking cannabis ad libitum) |
| Keywords | Medicine Psychology |
| Key finding | Cannabis primarily affected mood and subjective experience, while alcohol primarily impaired cognitive and psychomotor performance, and their combined acute effects were additive at most. |
Abstract
Co-use of alcohol and cannabis is associated with increased frequency and intensity of use and related problems. This study examined acute effects of alcohol and cannabis on mood, subjective experience, cognition, and psychomotor performance. Twenty-eight healthy cannabis users aged 19-29 years with recent history of binge drinking completed this within-subjects, double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial. Participants received: placebo alcohol and placebo cannabis (<0.1% THC); alcohol (target breath alcohol content [BrAC] 80 mg/dL) and placebo cannabis; placebo alcohol and active cannabis (12.5% THC); and active alcohol and cannabis over four sessions. Profile of Mood States (POMS), Addiction Research Centre Inventory (ARCI), verbal free recall (VFR), Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), Continuous Performance Test (CPT), and grooved pegboard (GPB) task were administered before and approximately 75 min after drinking alcohol (1 h after smoking cannabis ad libitum). Significant effects of condition were found for the POMS (Tension-Anxiety, Confusion) and ARCI (MBG, LSD, PCAG, Euphoria, Sedation), predominantly with greater increases emerging after cannabis or alcohol-cannabis combined relative to placebo. Significant effects were found for VFR (immediate total and delayed recall, percent retained), DSST (trials attempted, trials correct, reaction time), and GPB (non-dominant hand) predominantly with greater declines in performance after alcohol and alcohol-cannabis combined relative to placebo and/or cannabis. Cannabis appeared to affect mood and subjective experience, with minimal impact on cognitive performance. Alcohol appeared to impair cognitive and psychomotor performance, with minimal impact on mood and subjective experience. Acute effects of alcohol and cannabis combined were additive at most.