United States: legalization of medical cannabis reduces alcohol consumption

Sales of alcoholic beverages fell by 15% in states that have legalized medical cannabis, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Connecticut and the University of Georgia.

This study adds to a body of evidence suggesting that greater availability of cannabis may reduce alcohol consumption. Since alcohol is more harmful to individuals and society than cannabis use, U.S. experts view this decline in alcohol consumption as a step forward for public health.

The researchers examined data on alcohol sales contained in the Nielsen databases which compile sales data from 90 retail chains in the United States. Studies on alcohol are often based on self-reported data, and consumers are known to reduce their consumption alcohol when they are questioned.

Sales figures were compared before and after the implementation of medical cannabis laws and adjusted for the many economic and demographic variables that could affect alcohol consumption (age, ethnic group, income, etc.).

The legalization of medical cannabis allows only a small portion of the population to access the drug. The full impact of legalizing recreational cannabis on alcohol consumption could therefore be even greater.

Although not all studies agree on the effect of medical cannabis legalization on alcohol consumption, there is strong evidence to suggest a decrease. On 39 studies on the subject, 16 conclude that people are substituting cannabis for alcohol, while 10 suggest that greater availability of cannabis increases alcohol consumption. Another 12 see no effect.

Some alcohol producers, however, see economic potential in the entry of cannabis into the legal market. For example, Constellation Brands, the distributor of Corona in the United States, has acquired a stake 9.9% (191 million $) in Canopy Growth, the world's largest legal producer of medical cannabis.

Unlike alcohol, cannabis does not no known lethal dose. Alcohol is even more addictive, causes more traffic accidents and is more related to violent behavior. Alcohol consumption is responsible for the deaths of at least 49,000 French people per year.