Whenever I post something on social media about declining beer sales, at least one person is quick to chime in and blame it on increased cannabis use. The assertion that smoking weed leads to lower beer consumption goes against everything I learned in high school and college, but I am willing to entertain the notion.
Until now, I have not seen a lot of real data measuring the correlation between marijuana use and beer consumption. Recently, Brewbound published a story that cited some sources. It’s worth taking a look at what we’ve learned thus far.
According to researchers, there is a measurable correlation between cannabis use and alcohol consumption, though it comes with some caveats. Data from three different studies in the USA and Canada show that the relationship between alcohol and cannabis consumption might be more interactive than previously believed. Brewbound cited a report by Bernstein, a financial services firm, that analyzed the studies.
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
Cannabis has been legal nationwide in Canada since 2018. Reportedly, 22.8% of people who use both cannabis and alcohol reported drinking less alcohol. That is a +7.5% increase from 2020, when 15.3% of respondents reported drinking less. This is according to Health Canada data parsed by one of the analysts at Bernstein.
In the USA, where cannabis is very slowly becoming legal state-by-state, 36% of cannabis users who drink reported that they now drink less. The remaining 64% said they have “not reduced alcohol consumption.” This is according to a 2024 survey from Numerator, a market research firm.
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
Here’s the factoid that seems to really hit home. Nearly half (47%) of respondents reported “replacing some of their alcohol consumption” with cannabis, according to data from a 2021 New Frontier survey.
One of Bernstein’s analysts pointed out that there are some caveats. To begin with, consumers of both alcohol and cannabis report drinking less alcohol but they do not necessarily say that they’re drinking less because of their cannabis use. There are other reasons why some people are drinking less alcohol these days. “Correlation does not necessarily mean causation,” said Nadine Sarwat, an analyst at Bernstein.
Another point Sarwat brought up involves consumer reliability when answering surveys about subjects like this. “Given alcohol’s less favorable social perception today, it is possible that this underreporting by young consumers has increased (favoring cannabis). Put another way, if it’s cool to be sober curious or California Sober, the extent of that sobriety may be overstated.” (Note for the unaware, California Sober refers to the act of refraining from alcohol use, but instead using “light drugs” like marijuana and psychedelics.)
So, yes, there is some data to back up the otherwise anecdotal evidence that the legal availability of cannabis products is impacting beer sales. I’d say that it is not entirely concrete evidence, but cannabis is one of the various factors contributing to slumping alcohol sales.
You can read the bigger story on Brewbound, though it is only available to members. If this level of detail into what’s happening in the beer industry interests you, it might be worth considering a subscription.
