Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies

Cannabis

Breadcrumb

Cannabis

Examining multiple dimensions of drug use and misuse by employing a range of scientific methods.

Areas of Focus

Cannabis use in community-based and clinical adult samples
Adolescent substance use
Comorbid cannabis and alcohol use
Drug use and HIV

CAAS faculty's body of research includes a cannabis administration laboratory to investigate various determinants of cannabis use and its effects; observational studies utilizing ecological momentary assessment to examine cannabis-related risk behaviors (e.g., driving under the influence of cannabis) and associations between cannabis and alcohol use behaviors; medications for adolescents with comorbid cannabis and alcohol use; and dissemination/implementation of research findings.

Significant work has focused on comorbidity, particularly the comorbidity of alcohol and cannabis use and the comorbidity of affective disorders with cannabis use.

See more from CAAS

News from Brown

Three-quarters of survey respondents supported an overdose prevention center in their neighborhood

April 10, 2025

An assessment by researchers at the Brown University School of Public Health revealed that before the opening of an OPC in Providence, people living and working in the area were generally supportive.

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Brown University

What to know about the first overdose prevention center in the U.S., from the researchers studying it

December 10, 2024

With the first state-sanctioned overdose prevention center about to open in Providence, Rhode Island, Brown University epidemiologist Brandon Marshall explained how researchers will measure its impact.

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Innovations for Substance Use Disorders

Lauren Micalizzi, Ph.D. wins Innovations for Substance Use Disorders pitch competition

December 1, 2024

Lauren Micalizzi, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies and Ian Martin, Business Systems Analyst at Together We Can Addiction Recovery & Education Society had the winning pitch among 21 pitches.

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Faculty

Faculty engaged in research relating to cannabis

Elizabeth Aston

Associate Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences

elizabeth_aston@brown.edu
Rachel Cassidy

Associate Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences

rachel_cassidy@brown.edu
Rachel Gunn

Associate Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences

rachel_gunn@brown.edu
Jennifer Merrill

Associate Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences

jennifer_merrill@brown.edu
Jane Metrik

Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior

jane_metrik@brown.edu
Lauren Micalizzi

Assistant Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences

lauren_micalizzi@brown.edu
Robert Miranda

Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Training Director of the Postdoctoral Training Program

robert_miranda_jr@brown.edu
Cara Murphy

Assistant Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences

cara_murphy@brown.edu
Alexander Sokolovsky

Assistant Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences

alexander_sokolovsky@brown.edu

Affiliated Research Units

Center for addiction and Disease Risk Exacerbation (CADRE)

Our mission is to become a national leader in substance use bio-behavioral research and chronic disease manifestations in vulnerable populations (especially underrepresented ethnic or racial minorities), serving as a resource for training and research within Brown University as well as regionally and nationally.