Transitioning from alcohol to cannabis

Harm Reduction at Its Best

A recent study demonstrated that there are now more daily users of cannabis than daily users of alcohol, though, overall, more people still consume alcohol than cannabis. With legalization, cannabis use (daily and in general) is going up while daily alcohol use appears to be down. In this study, which garnered a good deal of press due to the growth of cannabis use, the prevalence of daily or near daily alcohol use fell by 7%. If people are substituting cannabis for alcohol, this the very definition of harm reduction because cannabis is safer than alcohol by almost all metrics.

As cannabis legalization has been spreading around the country, and the world, it is not particularly surprising that some people are substituting. Ever since cannabis was criminalized in 1937, those Americans who are law-abiding have had only one choice of intoxicant to help them relax and recover at the end of a difficult day of work. In a perfect world, we might all practice yoga, meditate, exercise, have a therapist, listen to classical music, and eat tofu – we would be so good at self-soothing that we wouldn’t need booze or any other drugs. In reality, many people find that they need something to “take the edge off” at the end of a challenging day. With more than half of Americans now living in a state where adult recreational cannabis use is legal, and with the stigma around cannabis diminishing, it is no wonder that some people are shifting from alcohol to cannabis.

Why are people shifting from alcohol to cannabis?

Once they have tried both drugs, many are finding that they prefer cannabis. They are discovering that cannabis, compared to alcohol, is either more fun, more relaxing, more interesting, more helpful, or less unhealthy. (As a note, I have always found all five to be true, but I’ve never been a big fan of alcohol). For example, in the midst of an obesity crisis, many don’t like the excessive carbohydrates and calories that come with alcohol consumption. Even though cannabis can transiently give people ‘the munchies’, by vastly magnifying how good food tastes in the moment, cannabis users tend to be thinner than non-users. (We don’t quite know why this is the case yet.) Further, unlike alcohol, cannabis gives a mild hangover at worst, which is another reason people are switching away from soul-crushing alcoholic hangovers, so they can enjoy the next day and can be productive.