More than half of marijuana consumers say they drink less alcohol, or none at all, after using cannabis, according to a new poll. The survey from the cannabis telehealth platform NuggMD that was shared exclusively with Marijuana Moment is one of the latest pieces of evidence supporting the idea of a substitution effect, with people increasingly opting for cannabis as a less harmful alternative to alcohol.
Asked how consuming marijuana affected their alcohol use, 54 percent of respondents said they “tend to drink less or not at all.” Another 22 percent said there wasn’t a relationship between use of the two substances, and 14 percent said it “depends on the circumstances.” Just 9 percent said they tended to drink more alcohol after using cannabis.
“From a public health perspective, the replacement effect cannabis use seems to have on alcohol consumption is a positive shift,” she said. “Many people are substituting a potentially fatal substance with one that isn’t. However, this replacement is only a safe, practical option in state-legal recreational markets. Our internal estimates show that 47 percent of Americans and 37 percent of domestic cannabis consumers still live in states without access to these markets.”
The results of the NuggMD survey stack up neatly against an increasing body of scientific research, indicating that consumer trends are shifting as the state-level legalization movement spreads and more adults are able to lawfully access marijuana products at licensed retailers.
