BUFFALO, N.Y. – Cannabis-infused beverages may provide a unique opportunity for helping people drink less alcohol, according to the findings of a small study led by public health researchers from the University at Buffalo.
The risks associated with drinking alcohol are many, both from a health as well as a societal standpoint. Alcohol consumption has been linked to at least seven different types of cancer and nearly 200 health conditions and diseases. Cannabis, on the other hand, poses lower risks and harms, especially compared to heavy alcohol use.
The study published this month in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs is the first of its kind to focus on cannabis beverages and the potential for alcohol harm reduction, the authors say. It also happens to be particularly relevant given it was published in "dry January," a month in which many people try to start the new off by reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption.
Harm reduction is a public health strategy used to reduce the risks associated with substance use. It acknowledges that while abstinence is often best, many people choose to use legally available products containing alcohol, tobacco or cannabis.
"In the first study of its kind, we introduce the concept of having cannabis as harm reduction for alcohol. Cannabis has been proposed as harm reduction for other drugs such as opioids but not talked about as often for legal substances such as alcohol," says study first author Jessica Kruger, PhD, a clinical associate professor of community health and health behavior in UB's School of Public Health and Health Professions.
But, she cautions, "I think we have a long way to go before this is seen as mainstream as cannabis beverages are a new modality of use."
The market for cannabis beverages is exploding. Market research firm Euromonitor projects sales of these beverages to top $4 billion in 2028. Many Americans are also trying to drink less alcohol — and not just during so-called "Dry January."
The survey of 438 anonymous adults who reported using cannabis in the past year found that the majority, or nearly 56%, reported drinking alcoholic beverages. About one-third used cannabis beverages, typically consuming one per session, and users were more likely to report substituting cannabis for alcohol (58.6%) than non-users (47.2%).
In this study, 89.5% of respondents drank cannabis beverages with 10 mg of cannabidiol (CBD) or less, 10.4% with more than 10 mg, and about half (48%) didn't know the CBD content.
In addition, they reported consuming fewer alcoholic drinks after starting cannabis beverages — an average of 3.35 per week compared to 7.02 before starting cannabis beverages. They also reported binge drinking alcohol less frequently compared to before they started drinking cannabis beverages.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents (62.6%) answered that they had either reduced (61.5%) or stopped (1.1%) drinking alcohol as a result of drinking cannabis beverages; 3.3% reported increasing alcohol consumption.
The findings suggest that cannabis beverages may support alcohol substitution and reduce alcohol-related harms, offering a promising alternative for people interested in reducing their alcohol intake.
"Several previous studies, including ours, have demonstrated that people have reduced their alcohol consumption by switching to cannabis," says Daniel Kruger, PhD, a paper co-author and research associate professor in UB's School of Public Health and Health Professions.
"It's remarkable that people who use cannabis beverages report an even greater reduction in alcohol use than those who use other types of cannabis products (but not beverages). We believe this may be because of the similarity in administration method and context of use — people at parties or bars will likely have a drink in their hand, in this case a cannabis beverage rather than an alcoholic one," he adds.
Cannabis drinks — which are often packaged in cans like common alcoholic beverages such as beer and hard seltzers — are becoming more widely available as states legalize cannabis for adult use. The first cannabis beverage sold legally in New York State was released in January 2023, one month after the state began the licensed sale of cannabis products.
The survey revealed that nearly 82% of respondents who used cannabis beverages were more likely to buy their cannabis products from cannabis dispensaries authorized for medical and adult use.
Based on the survey results, the research team plans to further explore the effect of cannabis drinks over time and compare modes of cannabis consumption.
Nicholas Felicione, PhD, assistant professor of community health and health behavior at UB, is also a co-author on the paper. The researchers wish to thank their community partners Premier Earth and Star Buds, both of which are New York State-licensed cannabis dispensaries in the Buffalo area, which helped them distribute the survey.
