How different cannabis types (THC vs CBD) affect drinking
Official title: Cannabis' Impact on Alcohol Consumption: Integrating Laboratory and Ecological Momentary Assessment Methods
Funded at Brown University · NIH-11389505 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether using cannabis with different mixes of THC and CBD changes alcohol drinking in people who regularly use both substances.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brown University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Providence, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2022 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $622,656 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AA029711-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11389505 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults who regularly co-use cannabis and alcohol, including heavy co-users and people with alcohol use disorder.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not use cannabis or alcohol, who cannot legally or medically use cannabis, or who are pregnant are unlikely to benefit from participating.
What this research studies
You would join if you regularly use both alcohol and cannabis. The team will bring you into the lab for controlled sessions where cannabis products with varying THC and CBD levels are given and alcohol consumption and craving are measured. You will also use a smartphone to report real-time cannabis and alcohol use in your daily life so researchers can compare lab results with real-world behavior. The study combines laboratory experiments and day-to-day monitoring to see how different cannabinoids shape drinking within the same person.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help people and clinicians understand whether certain cannabis types reduce or increase drinking and guide safer use or new treatment ideas.
How similar studies have gone: Previous human lab work from this team found THC can acutely reduce alcohol value and consumption in heavy co-users and animal studies suggest CBD may reduce alcohol craving, but combined human lab and real-world tests of different cannabinoid mixes are largely novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Brown University
Providence, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Metrik, Jane — Brown University
- Study coordinator: Metrik, Jane
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.