Three In Four Young Adults Say They Use Marijuana As An Alcohol Alternative At Least Once A Week, Survey Finds

About three in 4 younger adults say they’re substituting hashish for alcohol a minimum of as soon as per week—a “fast-emerging” pattern that displays the “rapid expansion” of the hemp product market—in line with a brand new survey and evaluation.

The report from Bloomberg Intelligence (BI) discovered that, throughout varied demographics, hashish is more and more getting used as an alternative choice to alcohol and even non-alcoholic drinks as extra corporations—together with main multi-state marijuana operators (MSOs)—develop their choices.

“Rapid expansion in the US hemp-based cannabis-beverage market might soon prod soft drink makers to participate, at least indirectly, given it’s currently permitted,” BI stated, whereas caveating that there are monetary “risks” related to participation within the hemp market as a result of “lawmakers could act to prohibit hemp-derived THC products.”

However, “not participating could make it much more difficult for soda makers to establish top brands later,” the report, launched on Monday, stated.

“The market is being driven by two fast-emerging trends: rising substitution of marijuana for alcohol and a growing preference among cannabis users to drink it rather than smoke it. Large US multistate operators, such as Trulieve and Curaleaf, have recently launched hemp-based THC beverages. Unlike marijuana-based THC drinks, whose sales are limited to state-legal marijuana dispensaries, federally legal hemp-based THC drinks are available in mainstream liquor stores.”

A chart from BI confirmed that 74 p.c of these aged 18-24 self-report utilizing hashish “in lieu of alcohol” a minimum of as soon as per week. That’s in comparison with 65 p.c of these 25-34, 42 p.c of these 45-54 and 18 p.c of these 55 and older.

“The market is being driven by two fast-emerging trends: rising substitution of marijuana for alcohol and a growing preference among cannabis users to drink it rather than smoke it.” @BBGIntelligence https://t.co/9yURmgtYkx

— Todd Harrison (@todd_harrison) March 17, 2025

That is basically consist with a rising physique of research indicating that hashish—whether or not federally authorized hemp or still-prohibited marijuana—is being utilized as an alternative to many Americans amid the reform motion.

To that time, a survey from YouGov that was launched final week discovered {that a} majority of Americans believe regular alcohol consumption is more harmful than regular marijuana use. Even so, extra adults say they personally favor ingesting alcohol to consuming hashish regardless of the well being dangers.

A separate ballot launched in January decided that more than half of marijuana consumers say they drink less alcohol, or none in any respect, after utilizing hashish.

Yet one other survey—which was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and launched in December—discovered that younger adults are nearly three times more likely to use marijuana than alcohol on a each day or near-daily foundation.

That ballot supplied extra granular, age-specific findings than the same report printed final 12 months, discovering that more Americans overall smoke marijuana on a daily basis than drink alcohol every day—and that alcohol drinkers usually tend to say they’d profit from limiting their use than hashish shoppers are.

A separate research printed within the journal Addiction final 12 months equally discovered that there are more U.S. adults who use marijuana daily than who drink alcohol every day.

In December, BI additionally printed the outcomes of a survey indicating that substitution of cannabis for alcohol is “soaring” as the state-level legalization movement expands and relative perceptions of hurt shift. A good portion of Americans additionally stated in that ballot that they substitute marijuana for cigarettes and painkillers.

Another BI evaluation from final September projected that the enlargement of the marijuana legalization motion will continue to post a “significant threat” to the alcohol industry, citing survey knowledge that means extra persons are utilizing hashish as an alternative to alcoholic drinks such a beer and wine.

Yet one other research on the influence of marijuana consumption on individuals’s use of different medication that was launched in December prompt that, for a lot of, cannabis may act as a less-dangerous substitute, permitting individuals to scale back their consumption of gear comparable to alcohol, methamphetamine and opioids like morphine.

A research out of Canada, the place marijuana is federally authorized, discovered that legalization was “associated with a decline in beer sales,” suggesting a substitution effect.

The analyses comport with different current survey knowledge that extra broadly checked out American views on marijuana versus alcohol. For instance, a Gallup survey discovered that respondents view cannabis as less harmful than alcohol, tobacco and nicotine vapes—and extra adults now smoke hashish than smoke cigarettes.

A separate survey launched by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and Morning Consult final June additionally discovered that Americans contemplate marijuana to be significantly less dangerous than cigarettes, alcohol and opioids—they usually say hashish is much less addictive than every of these substances, in addition to expertise.

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