Subjective effects of simultaneous alcohol and cannabis versus alcohol-only use: A qualitative analysis.
Jack T. Waddell, Jennifer E. Merrill, Sarah A. Okey, Ricardo Woods-Gonzalez, William R Corbin
Psychology of Addictive Behaviors November 2023 DOI: 10.1037/adb0000908 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 443 |
| Population | College students who simultaneously use alcohol and cannabis (68.2% female) |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | Nine concepts of subjective effects from simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use (vs. alcohol-only) emerged from open-answer text data. Increased impairment (N = 191) and increased relaxation (N = 110) were most often endorsed, followed by decreased impairment (N = 55), balancing/replacement effects (N = 50), and cross-faded/enhancement effects (N = 44). The authors argue these effects largely map onto single-substance domains but also include distinct simultaneous-use domains. |
Abstract
Theoretical models of addictive behavior suggest that subjective effects serve as a mechanism through which substance use disorders develop. However, little is known about the subjective effects of simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use, particularly whether simultaneous use (a) heightens specific subjective effects or (b) is related to unique subjective effects relative to single-substance effects. The present study used formative, qualitative data analysis to examine patterns of responses within open-answer text response data on subjective effects of simultaneous use. College students who simultaneously use alcohol and cannabis (N = 443; 68.2% female) were asked to describe how alcohol effects differ on simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use versus alcohol-only use days. Conventional content analysis revealed nine concepts related to simultaneous (vs. alcohol-only) use subjective effects including as follows: (a) increased/decreased impairment, (b) low arousal/relaxation, (c) balancing/replacement effects, (d) "cross-faded" effects, (e) little-to-no differences, (f) altered sensation and perception, (g) increased negative affective states, (h) increased appetite, and (i) increased/decreased negative consequences. Increased impairment (N = 191) and increased relaxation (N = 110) were the most often endorsed subjective effects, followed by decreased impairment (N = 55), balancing/replacement effects (N = 50) and cross-faded/enhancement effects (N = 44). Subjective effects from simultaneous use largely map onto domains of single-substance alcohol and cannabis effects (e.g., relaxation, sociability, cognitive/behavioral impairment), but also include distinct domains related to simultaneous use (e.g., balancing/replacement effects, altered sensation and perception). Future quantitative research is needed to validate measures of subjective effects from simultaneous use and their relations with use behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychoactive substances as a last resort—a qualitative study of self-treatment of migraine and cluster headaches Users of online forums discussing cluster headache and migraine treatments | 2017 | Qualitative thematic analysis | |
| Psychoactive drug or mystical incense? Overview of the online available information on Spice products Web pages related to Spice products | 2009 | Qualitative study | n = 200 |
| Patterns, Trends, and Meanings of Drug Use by Dance-drug Users in Edinburgh, Scotland Clubbers in clubs and pre-club bars | 2004 | Cross-sectional survey with focus groups | n = 124 |
| Fascination and Social Togetherness-Discussions about Spice Smoking on a Swedish Internet Forum. Swedish internet forum users who posted reports about Spice intoxication | 2013 | Qualitative study | n = 40 |
| Cannabis as entheogen: survey and interview data on the spiritual use of cannabis. Participants recruited from seven online communities, median age 33, 81% male | 2020 | Mixed methods (qualitative interviews and quantitative survey) | n = 319 |
Citations in the library
Cites 5
- Tolerance and cross-tolerance to neurocognitive effects of THC and alcohol in heavy cannabis users Psychopharmacology October 30, 2010
- Separate and combined effects of alcohol and cannabis on mood, subjective experience, cognition and psychomotor performance: A randomized trial. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry May 1, 2022
- Exploring the munchies: An online survey of users’ experiences of cannabis effects on appetite and the development of a Cannabinoid Eating Experience Questionnaire Journal of Psychopharmacology July 26, 2019
- Cannabis effects on driving longitudinal control with and without alcohol. Journal of Applied Toxicology November 2016
- Cannabis and psychosis/schizophrenia: human studies European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience July 16, 2009