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) that was released on Tuesday 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 percent of respondents in the latest survey, up sharply from 33 percent in 2022.”
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) that was released on Tuesday 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 percent of respondents in the latest survey, up sharply from 33 percent in 2022.”
Compared to past surveys, however, the analysts said there was less substitution of cannabis for cigarettes (30 percent versus 39 percent) and pain killers (30 percent versus 35 percent) in 2024 compared to 2022.
“The results may prompt additional interest in cannabis from alcoholic beverage producers,” the report says. “More + Large consumer-products companies Altria, Constellation Brands, British American Tobacco and Imperial Brands have formed joint ventures or acquired stakes in Canadian cannabis producers, with plans to enter the U.S. when permissible on the federal level.”
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