About three in four young adults say they’re substituting cannabis for alcohol at least once per week—a “fast-emerging” trend that reflects the “rapid expansion” of the hemp product marketplace—according to a new survey and analysis.
The report from Bloomberg Intelligence (BI) found that, across various demographics, cannabis is increasingly being used as an alternative to alcohol and even non-alcoholic beverages as more companies—including major multi-state marijuana operators (MSOs)—expand their offerings.
“Rapid expansion in the US hemp-based cannabis-beverage market might soon prod soft drink makers to participate, at least indirectly, given it’s currently permitted,” BI said, while caveating that there are financial “risks” associated with participation in the hemp market because “lawmakers could act to prohibit hemp-derived THC products.”
However, “not participating could make it much more difficult for soda makers to establish top brands later,” the report, released on Monday, said.
“The market is being driven by two fast-emerging trends: rising substitution of marijuana for alcohol and a growing preference among cannabis users to drink it rather than smoke it. Large US multistate operators, such as Trulieve and Curaleaf, have recently launched hemp-based THC beverages. Unlike marijuana-based THC drinks, whose sales are limited to state-legal marijuana dispensaries, federally legal hemp-based THC drinks are available in mainstream liquor stores.”
A chart from BI showed that 74 percent of those aged 18-24 self-report using cannabis “in lieu of alcohol” at least once per week. That’s compared to 65 percent of those 25-34, 42 percent of those 45-54 and 18 percent of those 55 and older.
“The market is being driven by two fast-emerging trends: rising substitution of marijuana for alcohol and a growing preference among cannabis users to drink it rather than smoke it.” @BBGIntelligence https://t.co/9yURmgtYkx
— Todd Harrison (@todd_harrison) March 17, 2025
That is largely consist with a growing body of studies indicating that cannabis—whether federally legal hemp or still-prohibited marijuana—is being utilized as a substitute for many Americans amid the reform movement.
To that point, a survey from YouGov that was released last week found that a majority of Americans believe regular alcohol consumption is more harmful than regular marijuana use. Even so, more adults say they personally prefer drinking alcohol to consuming cannabis despite the health risks.
A separate poll released in January determined that more than half of marijuana consumers say they drink less alcohol, or none at all, after using cannabis.
Yet another survey—which was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and released in December—found that young adults are nearly three times more likely to use marijuana than alcohol on a daily or near-daily basis.
That poll provided more granular, age-specific findings than a similar report published last year, finding that more Americans overall smoke marijuana on a daily basis than drink alcohol every day—and that alcohol drinkers are more likely to say they would benefit from limiting their use than cannabis consumers are.
A separate study published in the journal Addiction last year similarly found that there are more U.S. adults who use marijuana daily than who drink alcohol every day.
In December, BI also published the results of a survey indicating 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 that poll that they substitute marijuana for cigarettes and painkillers.
Another BI analysis from last September projected that the expansion of the marijuana legalization movement will continue to post a “significant threat” to the alcohol industry, citing survey data that suggests more people are using cannabis as a substitute for alcoholic beverages such a beer and wine.
Yet another study on the impact of marijuana consumption on people’s use of other drugs that was released in December suggested that, for many, cannabis may act as a less-dangerous substitute, allowing people to reduce their intake of substances such as alcohol, methamphetamine and opioids like morphine.
A study out of Canada, where marijuana is federally legal, found that legalization was “associated with a decline in beer sales,” suggesting a substitution effect.
The analyses comport with other recent survey data that more broadly looked at American views on marijuana versus alcohol. For example, a Gallup survey found that respondents view cannabis as less harmful than alcohol, tobacco and nicotine vapes—and more adults now smoke cannabis than smoke cigarettes.
A separate survey released by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and Morning Consult last June also found that Americans consider marijuana to be significantly less dangerous than cigarettes, alcohol and opioids—and they say cannabis is less addictive than each of those substances, as well as technology.
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