Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 21, 2026

Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
Published on: August 18, 2020
A Random Forest Analysis of Risk Factors and Trends in Substance Use Treatment Among Those Who Use Cannabis and
Christine Ramdin1,2, Christopher Meaden1,2, Lewis S Nelson3
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of Addiction and Toxicology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA.
Background:
The harms of using combined cannabis and alcohol include injuries, social problems, and exacerbating existing conditions. No studies have compared substance use risk factors pre and post pandemic in a large national sample among those who use these substances together. The goal of our study was to determine the relationship between the pandemic and shifts in substance use among those who use cannabis and alcohol together.
Methods:
This was a review of data collected by the National Survey of Drug Use and Health for the time frames (2015-2019 [pre-COVID], 2023 [post-COVID]). We analyzed data pertaining to whether respondents used cannabis during their last alcohol use. We analyzed demographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, etc.), trends in treatment, and conducted random forest analyses followed by regression models for identifying significant predictors.
Results:
Between 2015 and 2023 (including years 2020-2022), there were a total of 24,526 (5%) respondents who reported co-use and this increased during the study period (p < 0.001). Pre-COVID, 274 (2.1%) reported receipt of treatment and this increased to 141 (4.2%) (p < 0.0001). Pre-COVID, cannabis accessibility (aOR: 13.9, p < 0.0001) and amphetamine/methylphenidate products (aOR: 5.6, p < 0.001) were associated with co-use. Post COVID, cannabis accessibility (aOR: 10.6, p < 0.001) and psychotherapeutic misuse (aOR: 2.7, p < 0.001) were significant.
Discussion:
Remnants of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the rise in mental health diagnoses, may have had a lasting influence on substance co-use. Efforts should be made to improve treatment rates in this population.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
Combined Effects of Drugs: Synergism
Such synergistic combinations...
Drug Dependence
Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena
Drug Toxicity: Risk factors
Factors Affecting Drug Response: Overview

