NCJ Number
191732
Journal
Substance Use and Misuse Volume: 36 Issue: 6/7 Dated: 2001 Pages: 717-733
Date Published
2001
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This article reports on the functional correlates of recent cannabis use when such use is additional to an alcohol disorder in rural and urban at-risk drinkers.
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to identify correlates of co-occurring cannabis use in rural and urban at-risk drinkers in terms of demographic characteristics, illness severity, and social consequences of alcohol abuse; and to identify the association of co-occurring cannabis use with subsequent six-month drinking outcomes including alcohol consumption and its social consequences. A probability-based random sample of phone numbers in Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee was identified for the study using a list-assisted random-digit dialing design. Results show clear, substantive differences among recent cannabis users and nonusers in a community sample of at-risk drinkers. Recent cannabis users were significantly more impaired in terms of socioeconomic status (lower income, education, employment), in the psychological and physical consequences of alcohol use, and in the negative consequences of alcohol use such as legal difficulties and family issues. Additional impairment in functioning associated with cannabis use appeared to be more cross-sectional than longitudinal, in that the negative correlates of cannabis use were more frequently associated with concurrent cannabis use rather than predicted by earlier use. The increased prevalence of lifetime major depression among the cannabis users suggests that this group may be vulnerable to broader functional impairment. There were significantly more occurrences of panic disorder in individuals with current cannabis use. The concept of cannabis use as a marker for more severe alcohol problems can be of use for brief interventions in primary care and screening in the workplace. 2 tables, 28 references