A new survey shows that more than half of cannabis users say they consume less or no alcohol after using the drug.
This survey, conducted by the cannabis telehealth company NuggMD and shared with MEDCAN24 exclusively, is the latest evidence that supports the notion of a substitute effect. People are increasingly choosing cannabis over alcohol as a safer alternative.
In response to the question of whether marijuana use affected alcohol consumption, 54 per cent said that “they tend to drink less or don’t at all.” Other 22 percent did not see a connection between marijuana use and alcohol consumption, and another 14 percent indicated that it was dependent on the situation. Only 9 percent of cannabis users said that they tend to consume more alcohol following their use.
This is based on data collected by 381 cannabis users between January 9-12. The margin of error was 5 percent.
Alexandra Arnett is the lead researcher at NuggMD and fact-checker. She told MEDCAN24 that cannabis users today are more interested in wellness rather than indulgence.
From a public-health perspective, she noted that the substitution effect of cannabis on alcohol is positive. Many people substitute a substance that can be fatal with another one. This is only an option for those states with legalized recreational markets. According to our internal estimations, 47 percent of Americans live in states that do not have access.
Arnett noted that, “Despite the positive shift away from alcohol to cannabis, state and federal prohibitions are limiting potential social benefits marijuana could provide,” he said.
NuggMD’s results match up well with the growing scientific evidence that indicates consumer preferences are changing, as legalization at the state level spreads. More adults can now legally access marijuana products from licensed retailers.
NuggMD is a NuggMD.
A survey released by the National Institute on Drug Abuse last month revealed that youth are three times as likely to consume marijuana on a regular basis or almost daily than they are alcohol.
That survey 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 this past May similarly found that there are more U.S. adults who use marijuana daily than who drink alcohol every day.
The new research also comes at nearly the same time as a Bloomberg Intelligence (BI) survey indicating that substitution of cannabis for alcohol is “soaring” as the state-level legalization movement expands and relative perceptions of harm shift. In that same poll, a significant number of Americans said that they also substituted marijuana for painkillers and cigarettes.
A separate BI analysis from 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 last month 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.
Another study out of Canada, where marijuana is federally legal, found that legalization was “associated with a decline in beer sales,” suggesting a substitution effect.
Other recent surveys have also examined American opinions on alcohol and marijuana. 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.
According to a recent poll, more Americans use cannabis as a sleep aid than choose prescription pills or alcohol.
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