Correlates and 6-month outcomes for co-occurring cannabis use in rural andurban at-risk drinkers

We know little about the functional correlates of recent cannabis use when such use is additional to an "alcohol disorder" in non-treatment population s. We report on data from a prospective study of a large probability commun ity survey of 733 at-risk drinkers in six Southern U.S. states (Alabama, Ar kansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee) conducted from 1995 to 1996. Twenty-one percent reported cannabis use during the past six mont hs at the baseline interview. These cannabis users were significantly less likely to be married, employed, or a high school graduate (p <.05). They we re also more likely to have a diagnosis of "antisocial personality disorder " or "panic disorder." Recent cannabis users also reported more negative co nsequences of their alcohol use, including more frequent recent diagnoses o f an "alcohol disorder," legal difficulties associated with their drinking, and more social consequences attributed to drinking. At the six-month foll ow-up interview, negative alcohol outcomes were associated with concurrent cannabis use, including higher frequency and quantity of alcohol consumptio n, greater frequency of recent "alcohol abuse" and "dependence,".and greate r social consequences of drinking. These results all point to substantially poorer functioning and experiences of individuals with concurrent at-risk alcohol and cannabis use. We suggest that cannabis use may be a marker for greater impairment associated with at-risk drinking.