# Exploring differential biological and psychological effects of regular alcohol and cannabis use in humans

> **NIH NIH F31** · COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $37,346

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Cannabis is the most commonly used substance among individuals who consume alcohol, but there is conflicting
evidence regarding the effects of cannabis on alcohol use and specific health outcomes. Furthermore,
physiological responses to long-term and regular use of these substances differ substantially. The present study
aims to investigate physiological and psychological differences across individuals with different patterns of
alcohol and cannabis use (individuals who exclusively and regularly use cannabis-only, alcohol-only, and
individuals who regularly use both alcohol and cannabis). The specific aims are to (1) investigate the effects of
regular cannabis and alcohol consumption on the gut microbiome and intestinal permeability in the three groups,
(2) examine baseline circulating levels of endocannabinoids and differences in relation to substance use
patterns, and (3) explore trait depression and anxiety symptoms and diagnoses among the three groups with
validated indices such as Beck’s depression and anxiety inventories. These aims will be tested through collection
of fecal and blood samples, as well as administration of several psychological assessments and substance use
questionnaires to individuals between the ages of 21-40 who regularly use alcohol or cannabis or a combination
of both. The current proposal is innovative in its multi-faceted approach to examining the effects of alcohol and
cannabis, and novel in its consideration of an endocannabinoid-microbiota-gut-brain axis. Structural equation
modeling will be used to investigate the aims, with data from an advanced biostatistics pipeline for microbiome
analysis. This proposal is designed to advance the candidate’s long-term goal of becoming an independent
scientist with advanced methodological and statistical knowledge that can be applied to clinical treatment of
substance use and mental health disorders. The training objectives are to (a) develop skills and knowledge to
bridge physiological processes and human psychopathology/behavior (alcohol and substance use, depression
and anxiety), (b) develop proficiency and applied expertise in human gut microbiome research and analysis, and
(c) develop competency and applied expertise in cannabinoid and endocannabinoid system research
(methodology and analysis). Foundational knowledge generated from this proposal will inform the candidate’s
future research directions and grant applications. The training will enable the candidate to become an innovative,
skilled researcher capable of utilizing advanced methods and statistics to conduct rigorous research on
integrative psycho-physiological processes and how they are impacted by alcohol and cannabis.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10539593
- **Project number:** 1F31AA030492-01
- **Recipient organization:** COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Meggan L Drennan
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $37,346
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-12-15 → 2025-12-14

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10539593

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10539593, Exploring differential biological and psychological effects of regular alcohol and cannabis use in humans (1F31AA030492-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10539593. Licensed CC0.

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