Co-Use of Alcohol and Cannabis: Longitudinal Associations with Mental Health Outcomes in Young Adulthood

Kara Thompson, Maria Holley, Clea Sturgess and Bonnie Leadbeater
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Kara Thompson: Department of Psychology, St. Francis Xavier University, 103 Annex, 2323 Notre Dame Ave., Antigonish, NS B2G 2W5, Canada
Maria Holley: Department of Psychology, St. Francis Xavier University, 103 Annex, 2323 Notre Dame Ave., Antigonish, NS B2G 2W5, Canada
Clea Sturgess: Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, Greater Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada
Bonnie Leadbeater: Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, Greater Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 7, 1-11

Abstract: Increases in cannabis use among young people has heightened concern about the potential interactive health effects of cannabis with other drugs. We examined the longitudinal association between concurrent and simultaneous (SAM) co-use of alcohol and cannabis in young adulthood on mental health symptoms, substance use behaviors, and substance-related harms two years later. Data were drawn from Time 5 (T5; n = 464; 46% male) and 6 (T6; n = 478; 45% male) of the Victoria Healthy Youth Survey. At T5, 42% of participants used alcohol-only, 13% used concurrently, 41% used SAM, 1% were cannabis only users, and 3% abstained from cannabis and alcohol. Boys were more likely to use SAM. Higher T5 SAM use frequency was associated with heavier use of substances, more substance-related harms, and symptoms of psychosis and externalizing problems at T6. T5 Concurrent use was associated with conduct symptoms, illicit drug use, and alcohol use disorders at T6 relative to alcohol-only use. Cannabis is commonly used with alcohol and the findings suggest that any co-use (concurrent or simultaneous) may be problematic in young adulthood. Public health messages need to explicitly inform consumers about the possible consequences of using both alcohol and marijuana and the addictive pharmacological impact of using them together.

Keywords: SAM; alcohol; marijuana; mental health; concurrent use; simultaneous use; young adults (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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