Adults Report Reducing or Eliminating Their Alcohol Intake By Using Cannabis

Two-thirds of cannabis consumers say that their cannabis use has enabled them to either moderate or eliminate their use of alcohol, according to survey data compiled by the telehealth platform NuggMD and first reported by Marijuana Moment. Among those surveyed, 31.5% said that they had “completely replaced alcohol with cannabis.”

34% of respondents said that they had either “greatly” or “somewhat” decreased their alcohol consumption by substituting cannabis in its place. Only 10% of those surveyed said that their marijuana use had not influenced their alcohol intake.

The survey results are consistent with other data. A 2024 study published in The Harm Reduction Journal reported that 60% of consumers say that their cannabis use results in less frequent alcohol consumption. Separate data published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine reports that adults who reside in proximity to licensed cannabis retailers are less likely to engage in binge drinking.

Laboratory studies find that consumers typically drink less alcohol on days they consume cannabis.

Data from jurisdictions with regulated cannabis markets typically show declining alcohol sales following legalization. Specifically, a study published last year in the journal Addiction identified sustained declines in Californians’ weekly drinking patterns, as well as in how often they engaged in heavy episodic drinking, following legalization. In Canada, alcohol sales have similarly declined following the adoption of adult-use marijuana legalization.