College students often indulge in their vices. Partying, alcohol, and marijuana are major components of the social scene on many campuses, and it's common for students to get cross-faded multiple days a week. But what happens when you consume more weed than tequila?
A recent study published in The American Journal of Psychiatry by researchers from Brown University’s School of Public Health and McMaster University in Canada provides new insights. The study found that, among college-age individuals, smoking weed before drinking can actually reduce the urge to consume large amounts of alcohol.
Around 150 participants, who regularly use alcohol and cannabis, were randomly given one of three varying dosage joints—one being a placebo—to smoke before heading into a makeshift bar on campus featuring their favorite cocktails to consume at discretion.
Results showed that, of the 138 participants who completed two or more sessions, those who smoked joints with 7.2% THC experienced a reduction in alcohol cravings. Additionally, participants consumed significantly less alcohol after smoking cannabis with 3.1% and 7.2% THC, reducing their overall intake by 19% and 27%, respectively.
While this is promising news for individuals who use both substances, heavy users should still exercise caution. Excessive weed consumption has been linked to “scromiting,” a phenomenon associated with cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), characterized by uncontrollable screaming and vomiting that can last for hours.
Typically, scromiting occurs in chronic marijuana users, particularly college students who consume high doses of marijuana more than 20 times a month. Research indicates that “young people, typically between the ages of 18 and 40, are presenting with frequent bouts of acute nausea, vomiting, and moderate to severe abdominal cramping,” resulting in hospital visits.
While consuming weed before drinking may lead to lower alcohol intake, it’s important to remember that just like excessive alcohol consumption, smoking too much weed can also lead to GI tract-related issues such as esophagitis and gastritis.
And that’s definitely a buzzkill.