Men’s consumption of alcohol, but not cannabis, is associated with intimate partner violence, according to survey data published in January 2014 in the journal Addictive Behaviors.

Investigators at the University of Tennessee and Florida State University assessed whether alcohol intoxication and/or cannabis use by college-age men in a current dating relationship was associated with increased odds of physical, sexual, or psychological aggression toward partners over a 90-day period.

They reported: “On any alcohol use days, heavy alcohol use days (five or more standard drinks), and as the number of drinks increased on a given day, the odds of physical and sexual aggression perpetration increased. The odds of psychological aggression increased on heavy alcohol use days only.”

By contrast, authors determined that “marijuana use days did not increase the odds of any type of aggression.”

Authors concluded, “Our findings were consistent with theoretical models of alcohol use and intimate partner violence and previous research, in that the odds of psychological, physical, and sexual aggression were all increased subsequent to alcohol use.”