US EditionAs 'California Sober' Catches on, Study Suggests Cannabis Use Reduces Short-Term Alcohol Consumption
A Brown University trial found cannabis with THC reduced alcohol consumption by up to 27% and lowered immediate urges to drink in heavy users during lab sessions.
- On November 19, 2025, Brown University researchers published the first randomized, placebo-controlled trial testing cannabis's effect on alcohol use in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
- Using a bar-like laboratory, Brown University researchers aimed to test causality, motivated by many people leaning on marijuana to cut back on drinking, rather than relying on surveys.
- In the trial, 157 adults aged 21 to 44 smoked placebo or THC doses 3.1% and 7.2% across three visits and chose alcohol or $3 incentive per declined drink.
- Researchers caution that cannabis use often overlaps with alcohol problems, with about 60% overlap and 40% meeting alcohol use disorder criteria, while 178,000 annual U.S. deaths from alcohol underline the need for more evidence, John Kelly warned.
- If replicated beyond the lab, the Research team at Brown University is conducting follow-up clinical trials on combined cannabis–alcohol use and cannabinoid effects, funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
13 Articles
13 Articles
People Drink 'Significantly Less Alcohol' After Smoking Marijuana, Federally Funded Study Shows
Smoking marijuana is associated with “significantly” reduced rates of alcohol consumption, according to a new federally funded study that involved adults smoking joints in a makeshift bar. Researchers at Brown University investigated the science behind the trend that’s come to be known as “California sober,” referring to people who abstain from or limit the use of alcohol and most other drugs while still consuming cannabis. According to the stud…
California sober trend: Can cannabis use reduce alcohol consumption?
Explore the California sober trend, which promotes cannabis use as an alternative to alcohol. Discover recent research suggesting that cannabis may reduce short-term alcohol consumption, and learn about the implications for drinking behavior.
Countless college students have done the experiment: What happens when alcohol and cannabis are mixed? But few have done it in a laboratory, under the watchful eye of scientists, carefully calibrating their breath while inhaling experimental-grade marijuana doses. In a new study, researchers gathered about 150 adults at an improvised bar on Brown University campus to check how much they wanted to drink after smoking cannabis. This is one of the …
As 'California sober' catches on, study suggests cannabis use reduces short-term alcohol consumption
The "California sober" trend, which involves ditching alcohol in favor of cannabis, is gaining momentum, spreading from Hollywood to health influencers to homes across America. Among the motivations for many adopters is to reduce alcohol use, and a new study on the causal effect of cannabis on alcohol consumption suggests that smoking marijuana may lead people to drink less—in the short term.
Can weed help you drink less? Scientists study how well 'California sober' works
It's trendy in some circles to replace drinking with consuming cannabis. But can it help people with a drinking problem cut back? Scientists set up a bar in the lab to find out.
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