Younger Americans are increasingly using cannabis-infused beverages as a substitute for alcohol—with one in three millennials and Gen Z workers choosing THC drinks over booze for after-work activities like happy hours, according to a new poll.
Drug Rehab USA’s survey of 1,000 working adults assessed their recreational choices. The results showed that, as marijuana legalization gains more momentum and awareness about alcohol-related harms grows, an increasing number of these generations prefer cannabis to alcohol.
In total, 66 per cent of American adults have tried alternatives to alcohol in the last six months. In addition, 24 percent said that they have replaced alcohol “at the very least” with cannabis or non-alcohol-based beverages.
It is a trend that is led by Gen Z (millennials) and Gen Z. Three out of the three Gen Z respondents said they drink THC instead of alcohol.
The survey revealed that 45 percent of respondents drink alcohol to unwind at work. Twenty percent smoke nicotine and 20 percent consume cannabis.
Drug Rehab USA reported that Americans use a mixture of traditional comforts as well as newer alternatives to relax after a hard day. While alcohol is still the most popular, nicotine and marijuana are a close second. This shows that habits have evolved across generations.
“After-work rituals are no longer limited to a nightly drink—or even to alcohol at all. The modern day’s rituals reflect the broader redefining of unwinding. While motivations vary—stress, routine, social connection—the through-line is clear: Americans are turning to consumable rituals to draw a line between work and rest. Many of these rituals start within an hour, and they repeat themselves multiple times per week.
This survey’s findings largely align with research on emerging trends in alcohol and cannabis use.
A recent study on rodents found that CBD can reduce binge drinking rates and blood alcohol concentrations.
Results of a separate study published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry also indicated that a single, 800-milligram dose of CBD can help manage certain alcohol cravings among people with alcohol use disorder (AUD), supporting the use of the marijuana component as a potential treatment option for problem drinkers.
In May, federally-funded research on cannabis and alcohol usage was published. It found that marijuana users who smoked it immediately before drinking consumed fewer alcohol beverages. They also reported lower alcohol cravings.
The study follows a separate survey analysis published in March that found that three in four young adults reported substituting cannabis for alcohol at least once per week—a “fast-emerging” trend that reflects the “rapid expansion” of the hemp product marketplace.
The report from Bloomberg Intelligence (BI) found that, across various demographics, cannabis is increasingly being used as an alternative to alcohol and even non-alcoholic beverages as more companies—including major multi-state marijuana operators (MSOs)—expand their offerings.
The findings were largely consist with a growing body of studies indicating that cannabis—whether federally legal hemp or still-prohibited marijuana—is being utilized as a substitute for many Americans amid the reform movement.
An earlier survey from YouGov, for example, found that a majority of Americans believe regular alcohol consumption is more harmful than regular marijuana use. However, despite health concerns, many adults prefer to drink alcohol over cannabis.
A separate poll released in January determined that more than half of marijuana consumers say they drink less alcohol, or none at all, after using cannabis.
Yet another survey—which was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and released in December—found that young adults are nearly three times more likely to use marijuana than alcohol on a daily or near-daily basis.
That poll provided more granular, age-specific findings than a similar report published last year, finding that more Americans overall smoke marijuana on a daily basis than drink alcohol every day—and that alcohol drinkers are more likely to say they would benefit from limiting their use than cannabis consumers are.
A separate study published in the journal Addiction last year similarly found that there are more U.S. adults who use marijuana daily than who drink alcohol every day.
In December, BI also published the results of a survey indicating that substitution of cannabis for alcohol is “soaring” as the state-level legalization movement expands and relative perceptions of harm shift. This poll also revealed that a large portion of Americans substitute marijuana and painkillers for tobacco.
Another BI analysis from last September projected that the expansion of the marijuana legalization movement will continue to post a “significant threat” to the alcohol industry, citing survey data that suggests more people are using cannabis as a substitute for alcoholic beverages such a beer and wine.
Yet another study on the impact of marijuana consumption on people’s use of other drugs that was released in December suggested that, for many, cannabis may act as a less-dangerous substitute, allowing people to reduce their intake of substances such as alcohol, methamphetamine and opioids like morphine.
A study out of Canada, where marijuana is federally legal, found that legalization was “associated with a decline in beer sales,” suggesting a substitution effect.
These analyses are in line with recent data from other surveys that looked more widely at American attitudes towards marijuana and alcohol. For example, a Gallup survey found that respondents view cannabis as less harmful than alcohol, tobacco and nicotine vapes—and more adults now smoke cannabis than smoke cigarettes.
A separate survey released by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and Morning Consult last June also found that Americans consider marijuana to be significantly less dangerous than cigarettes, alcohol and opioids—and they say cannabis is less addictive than each of those substances, as well as technology.
Meanwhile, a leading alcohol industry association is calling on Congress to dial back language in a House committee-approved spending bill that would ban most consumable hemp products, instead proposing to maintain the legalization of naturally derived cannabinoids from the crop and only prohibit synthetic items.