Alcohol Use Disorder Symptoms Rather than Alcohol Exposure Predict Experiences of Cannabis Use Disorder Symptoms among Adolescents and Young Adults

Abstract

Background: Alcohol and cannabis use are highly comorbid. Objective: We evaluate if alcohol use and/or alcohol use disorder symptoms predict experiences of cannabis use disorder symptoms among adolescents and young adults and whether the relationships differ based on frequency of cannabis use, recency of cannabis initiation and age. Method: Data were drawn from five annual surveys of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2014–2018) to include adolescents and young adults (age 12 to 21 years) who reported using cannabis and alcohol at least once in the past 30 days. Results: Number of alcohol use disorder symptoms, over and above alcohol quantity or frequency, was positively associated with each of the cannabis use disorder symptoms as well as the total number of cannabis use disorder symptoms endorsed. The association between alcohol and cannabis use disorder symptoms was stronger among those who were younger and those who initiated cannabis use within the past 2 years. Conclusions: Treatment should consider these and other cross-over effects of substance disorder symptoms when addressing risk for chronic and dependent use.

Keywords:

• Alcohol
• cannabis
• substance use disorder symptoms

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The research described was supported by Center Grant P50 DA039838 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse awarded to Penn State University and Grant R21 CA226300 from the National Cancer Institute. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute on Drug Abuse or the National Institutes of Health.