The latest poll shows that marijuana helps reduce alcohol intake.

A new public opinion survey shows that over half of cannabis consumers say that after using cannabis, they drink less alcohol or don't want to drink at all.

Recently, the famous cannabis telemedicine platform NuggMD shared its survey results, which is one of the latest evidence supporting the substitution effect theory, as more and more people are choosing cannabis as a less harmful alternative to alcohol.

When asked about how using marijuana affects their alcohol consumption, 54% of respondents said they "tend to drink less or not drink at all." Another 22% of people said there is no relationship between the two substances, while 14% said it "depends on the specific situation." Only 9% of people said they tend to drink more alcohol after using marijuana.

This survey is based on data collected from 381 marijuana consumers from January 9th to 12th, with a margin of error of 5%.

NuggMD's Chief Researcher and Fact-Checker, Alexandra Arnett, told industry media: "Today's cannabis consumers are more focused on health rather than indulgence, and we continue to observe this trend in polling data."

"From a public health perspective, the use of cannabis appears to have an substitutive effect on alcohol consumption, which is a positive shift," Arnett said. "Many people are choosing to substitute a non-lethal substance for a potentially lethal one. However, this substitution is only a safe, practical choice in states with legal recreational markets. Our internal estimates show that 47% of Americans and 37% of domestic cannabis consumers still live in states where they cannot access these legal markets."

Arnett said, "Despite the positive shift from alcohol to cannabis use, from a policy perspective, federal and state prohibitions restrict the potential benefits that cannabis could bring to society."

The results of the NuggMD survey align with an increasing number of scientific studies, which indicate that as the push for state-level legalization progresses and more adults are able to legally purchase cannabis products from licensed retailers, consumer trends are undergoing significant changes.

For example, a survey supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) released last month found that young people are almost three times more likely to use marijuana daily or near-daily than to drink alcohol.

Compared to a similar report released last year, this survey provides more detailed and targeted results for specific age groups. The results show that, overall, Americans who use marijuana daily outnumber those who drink alcohol daily. Compared to marijuana consumers, alcohol drinkers are more likely to say that limiting alcohol consumption could benefit them.

Another study published in the journal "Addiction" in May of this year also found that there are more American adults who consume marijuana daily than those who consume alcohol daily.

This new study almost coincided with a survey by Bloomberg Intelligence (BI) which showed that as the movement for state-level legalization of marijuana expands and people's relative awareness of its harms shifts, the phenomenon of using marijuana as a substitute for alcohol is "skyrocketing." A significant portion of Americans in this public opinion poll also indicated that they choose to use marijuana as a substitute for cigarettes and painkillers.

Another September analysis forecast by Bloomberg Intelligence (BI) suggests that the expansion of the legalization of marijuana will continue to pose a "significant threat" to the alcohol industry, citing survey data that indicates more and more people are using marijuana as a substitute for alcoholic beverages such as beer and wine.

Another study released last month about the impact of consuming marijuana on people's use of other drugs suggests that for many, marijuana may be a lower-risk alternative, reducing their intake of substances such as alcohol, methamphetamine, and opioids.

Another study in Canada found that the legalization of marijuana is "associated with a decrease in beer sales", indicating the presence of a substitution effect. In Canada, marijuana has been legalized at the federal level.

These findings are consistent with other recent survey data, which more broadly examine Americans' views on marijuana and alcohol. For example, a Gallup survey found that respondents believed marijuana is less harmful than alcohol, tobacco, and nicotine e-cigarettes, and that there are now more adults consuming marijuana than smoking cigarettes.

In June last year, another survey conducted by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and Morning Consult found that Americans believe the harm of marijuana is much lower than that of cigarettes, alcohol, and opioids, and that the addictiveness of marijuana is much lower than these substances.

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