Alcohol alternatives have become increasingly popular in recent years. As THC drinks become available around the world, it’s an open question whether customers will really see them as a long-term replacement for alcohol instead of a novelty.
A biostatistician at the Public Health Institute, University of California, Berkeley, United States (US) has studied whether people with alcohol dependence can effectively use cannabis as a medication to reduce problematic alcohol consumption. She found that cannabis fully or partially meets six of the seven requirements for an effective substitute medication.
But whether THC drinks can functionally replace the social experience of alcohol is a different question. She says people are more likely to successfully replace alcohol with cannabis if they have a specific motivation for doing so—like using it to help with pain or sleep, or to intentionally cut down their alcohol intake.
“I think there are certain circumstances or situations in which cannabis can serve as an effective substitute” she said, before adding: “If you’re going out, looking for a certain kind of intoxication that’s more stimulating, then cannabis isn’t the correct substitute”. Still, THC beverage companies are angling to steer customers away from alcohol and towards their drinks. A 2024 poll showed there are more US adults who use cannabis daily than those who drink alcohol that often.
Cannabis beverages, however, lack the immediate effect of alcohol. In some cases, it can take more than an hour for their effects to be noticed. THC beverage manufacturers have been developing nanoemulsion technology to speed up the process. Removing the taste of cannabis is another challenge. Founder of House of Saka, which makes THC-infused beverages from wine, says it’s an “incredibly expensive business, because we have to not only buy the wine but then turn around and remove all the alcohol from it”.
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