@article{ref1,
title="Cannabis use during treatment for alcohol use disorders predicts alcohol treatment outcomes",
journal="Addiction",
year="2016",
author="Subbaraman, Meenakshi Sabina and Metrik, Jane and Patterson, Deidre and Swift, Robert",
volume="112",
number="4",
pages="685-694",
abstract="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. <br><br>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. <br><br>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. <br><br>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.<br><br>This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0965-2140",
doi="10.1111/add.13693",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/add.13693"
}