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Abstract
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AIMS: (1) Compare post-treatment alcohol use between those who use cannabis and those who abstain during treatment for alcohol use disorders (AUD). (2) Examine potential cannabis use thresholds by comparing post-treatment alcohol use between four frequency groups of cannabis users relative to abstainers.
DESIGN: Secondary analyses of the COMBINE Study, a randomized control trial of AUD treatments. The current study compares longitudinal drinking data between those who used cannabis vs. those who abstained during COMBINE treatment. SETTING: The COMBINE Study treatments were delivered on an outpatient basis over 16 weeks. The current analyses include 206 cannabis users and 999 cannabis abstainers. PARTICIPANTS: All participants met diagnosis of primary alcohol dependence (N = 1,383). MEASUREMENTS: Primary exposures were any cannabis use and quartiles of cannabis use (Q1: 1-4 use days during treatment, Q2: 5-9 days, Q3: 10-44 days, Q4: 45-112 days). Outcomes were percent days abstinent from alcohol (PDA), drinks per drinking day (DPDD), and percent heavy drinking days (PHD), all measured at treatment end and one year post-treatment.
FINDINGS: Compared with no cannabis use, any cannabis use during treatment was associated with 4.35% (95% CI: -8.68, -0.02), or approximately four fewer alcohol abstinent days at the end of treatment. This association weakened by one-year post-treatment (95% CI: -9.78, 0.54). Compared with no cannabis use, only those in the second quartile of cannabis use (those who used once or twice per month during treatment) had 8.81% (95% CI: -17.00, -0.63), or approximately ten fewer days alcohol abstinent at end of treatment, and 11.82% (95% CI: -21.56, -2.07), or approximately 13 fewer alcohol abstinent days one-year post-treatment. Neither any cannabis use nor quartiles were associated with DPDD or PHD at either time-point.
CONCLUSIONS: Among individuals in alcohol treatment, any cannabis use (compared with none) is related to significantly lower percent days abstinent from alcohol post-treatment, though only among those who used cannabis once or twice per month.
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Language: en |