Americans are continuing to use marijuana as a substitute for other drugs, with analysts reporting a “sudden spike” in the consumption of cannabis as an alternative to alcohol in 2024. An analysis of new survey data from Bloomberg Intelligence (BI) found that substitution of cannabis for alcohol is “soaring” as the state-level legalization movement expands and relative perceptions of harm shift. A significant portion of Americans also said in the poll that they substitute marijuana for cigarettes and pain killers.
Cannabis consumers “say they substitute the drug mostly for alcohol, cigarettes and analgesics, which is consistent” with an earlier survey conducted in 2022, BI said. “Of note, though, is the sudden spike in the substitution of marijuana for alcohol, cited by about 44%of respondents in the latest survey, up sharply from 33% in 2022.” Findings revealed that more than half of US marijuana consumers substitute the drug for beer and spirits, while nearly half use it in place of wine.
