Cannabis-Infused Drinks Offer Consumers A ‘Harm Reduction’ Alternative To Alcohol, Study Shows

A new study suggests that cannabis-infused beverages may help reduce the harms of alcohol drinking by providing an alternative for consumers.

Public health researchers have long searched for realistic ways to reduce the toll of alcohol, a substance linked to nearly 200 diseases and injuries worldwide, and the new paper sheds light on the role that the increasing availability of THC drinks can play.

“Findings suggest cannabis beverages may support alcohol substitution and reduce alcohol-related harms, offering a promising alternative for individuals seeking to lower alcohol intake,” the researchers affiliated with the State University of New York at Buffalo wrote.

“Consumption of cannabis beverages was associated with self-reported reductions in alcoholic drinks per week and frequency of binge alcohol drinking, which could lead to reductions in alcohol-related negative health and other consequences.”

The study, published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs and based on a survey of 438 adults who had used cannabis in some form over the past year, examined whether cannabis beverages in particular were being used as a substitute for alcohol, rather than alongside it.

“We found that one-third of respondents used cannabis beverages and that the people who used these beverages reported substituting cannabis for alcohol more frequently than those who only used other cannabis products,” the paper says.

“In the first study of its kind, we introduce the concept of having cannabis as harm reduction for alcohol,” the study’s lead researcher, Dr. Jessica Kruger, said in a press release. “Cannabis has been proposed as harm reduction for other drugs such as opioids but not talked about as often for legal substances such as alcohol.”

The press release notes that the study’s “findings suggest that cannabis beverages may support alcohol substitution and reduce alcohol-related harms, offering a promising alternative for people interested in reducing their alcohol intake.”

The paper notes that “as cannabis-infused beverages emerge in the legal market, their potential as a substitute for alcohol is of growing interest.”

THC beverage consumers in the study were more likely than people who consumed marijuana in other forms to say they intentionally substituted cannabis for alcohol. Nearly 59 percent reported doing so, compared with about 47 percent of those who did not consume cannabis drinks.

Patterns of binge drinking varied among the groups as well. More than 80 percent of cannabis beverage consumers fell into a lower-risk category than their counterparts.

“Cannabis beverage users also reported reducing their weekly alcohol consumption and frequency of binge drinking following initiation of cannabis beverage use,” the researchers wrote.

“There are plausible reasons to suspect that cannabis beverages provide a unique opportunity for alcohol harm reduction,” they concluded.

“Substitution of alcohol with cannabis may function as a harm reduction strategy, and cannabis beverages may be particularly useful for these purposes.”

Looking to the future, Kruger noted that more research is needed. “We have a long way to go before this is seen as mainstream as cannabis beverages are a new modality of use,” she said.

The study comes as Americans are apparently more inclined to quit or reduce their use of alcohol and tobacco than want to abstain from marijuana, according to a recent poll on New Year’s resolutions.

It also comes on the heels of a government-funded study showing that state agencies regulating marijuana are far more attentive to public health concerns than the those charged with overseeing alcohol.

In November, researchers at Brown University published a study about the science behind the trend that’s come to be known as “California sober,” referring to people who abstain from or limit the use of alcohol and most other drugs while still consuming cannabis. The federally funded study found that smoking marijuana is associated with “significantly” reduced rates of alcohol consumption.

This week, the United Center in Chicago—the largest entertainment arena in the U.S.—announced a partnership with two cannabis drink brands that involves plans to provide adult guests with a selection of hemp-derived THC beverages to enjoy at concerts and live events.

Marijuana Use Isn’t A ‘Red Flag’ In The Dating Scene, Three In Four Americans Say In New Survey

Marijuana use appears to be more of a green flag, rather than a red flag, for Americans who are dating, according to a new poll.

Drug Rehab USA surveyed 1,000 people with recent dating experience to learn about how substance use in a potential partner is perceived.

It found that just one in four respondents consider marijuana use a “red flag” in dating. About four in five millennials—and seven in ten Gen Z adults—don’t mind if a partner consumes cannabis.

Compared to marijuana, significantly more respondents (38 percent) said smoking cigarettes is a red flag in dating. “High-risk” illicit drug use was the biggest turn-off, at 73 percent, followed by misused prescription drugs (60 percent).

The only substance that carried less of a stigma than marijuana is alcohol, with 22 percent saying they don’t consider drinking a red flag.

Additionally, 68 percent of those polled said that they don’t believe their relationships would be stronger if their partner stopped using marijuana. Ten percent said such cessation could actually lead them to grow apart.

The survey also found that 22 percent of those who are dating say their partner consumes cannabis daily, which rises to to 35 percent for Gen Z couples.

Another 24 percent of respondents said substance use “improved their relationships intimacy—more relaxed or passionate,” according to Drug Rehab USA.

Despite the findings that suggest cannabis use isn’t a major contention for most couples, only 13 percent of those surveyed said that they’d be willing to include a photo of themselves smoking marijuana in a dating profile.

“The findings reveal that unlike other substances that can complicate relationships, cannabis is widely viewed as more neutral, or even socially connective for both dating and long-term relationships,” a summary of the survey says.

Last November, a separate survey found that women who frequently use marijuana report greater satisfaction in their romantic relationships.

While both surveys focused on romantic relationships, other recent research has shown that marijuana can play a key role in heightening sexual satisfaction as well.

For example, a recent scientific review found that cannabis use is associated with improvements in symptoms of female orgasmic disorder.

Relatedly, another study published last year found that marijuana use is linked to increased sexual desire and arousal, as well as lower levels of sexual distress.

In 2024, a study found that cannabis-infused vaginal suppositories seemed to reduce sexual pain in women after treatment for gynecological cancer. Combining the suppositories with online exercises in “mindful compassion” offered patients even more substantial benefits.

Earlier research also found that administration of a broad-spectrum, high-CBD vaginal suppository was associated with “significantly reduced frequency and severity of menstrual-related symptoms” as well as the symptoms’ negative impacts on daily life.

As for sexual fulfillment, a separate study last year found that while alcohol might be effective to “facilitate” sex, marijuana is better at enhancing sexual sensitivity and satisfaction.

While alcohol increased some elements of sexual attraction—including making people feel more attractive, more extroverted and more desirous—people who used marijuana “have more sensitivity and they are more sexually satisfied than when they consume alcohol,” authors wrote.

A broad scientific review of academic research on cannabis and human sexuality published in 2024 concluded that while the relationship between marijuana and sex is a complicated one, use of cannabis is generally associated with more frequent sexual activity as well as increased sexual desire and enjoyment.

That article, published in the journal Psychopharmacology, also suggested that lower doses of marijuana may actually be best suited for sexual satisfaction, while higher doses could in fact lead to decreases in desire and performance. And it suggested effects may differ between men and women

10 Million US Adults Microdosed Psychedelics Last Year, New Report Shows

Nearly 10 million American adults microdosed psychedelic substances such as psilocybin, LSD or MDMA in 2025, according to a new analysis.

The results of the RAND Corporation survey indicate that microdosing—which involves ingesting a small amount of a drug to improve mood and well-being without experiencing hallucinations or a full-scale trip—is a popular practice in the U.S.

“There is an emerging discussion about the effects of microdosing on creativity, well-being and mental health, but until now little was known about how common it is,” Michelle Priest, a RAND researcher who served as lead author of the new report, said in a press release on Wednesday. “Our findings suggest that for those who use psychedelics, taking small doses is a big deal.”

More than two-thirds (69 percent) of adults who used psilocybin in the last year said they microdosed at least once. Among MDMA consumers, 65 percent microdosed in the last year and 59 percent of LSD users did so.

Overall, RAND estimated that approximately 3.7 percent of U.S. adults—or 9.55 million people—microdosed psilocybin, MDMA and/or LSD in 2025.

The RAND paper also looks at psychedelics use more broadly, beyond microdosing—finding that the five most commonly used psychedelics were psilocybin (11 million adults), MDMA (4.7 million), Amanita muscaria mushrooms (3.5 million), ketamine (3.3 million) and LSD (3 million).

Microdosing—taking a very small dose without intending to alter one’s state of consciousness—is common among people who use psychedelics.https://t.co/yt8Pl6ymG1

— RAND (@RANDCorporation) January 21, 2026

“I was not surprised to see psilocybin mushrooms at the top of the list,” Beau Kilmer, co-director of the RAND Drug Policy Research Center and a coauthor of the study, said. “But I was a bit surprised to see another mushroom, Amanita muscaria, so high on the list.”

The new results are a follow-up to an earlier report RAND issued in 2024 that made the case that “now is the time” for federal policymakers to decide how to regulate psilocybin and other psychedelic substances.

Despite federal prohibition, that report noted, since 2019 more than two dozen localities have deprioritized the enforcement of laws around psychedelics, “generally making it a low or the lowest priority for law enforcement officials.” Voters in Oregon have also legalized supervised use of psilocybin, while Colorado voters legalized not only facilitated psilocybin use but also personal possession and production of psilocybin, DMT, non-peyote mescaline and other psychedelics.

“Now is the time for federal policymakers to decide what they want these supply models to look like and to start taking action,” the RAND report says. “Or, if they prefer a patchwork of state policies—possibly including those that allow for commercial supply and promotion—they can do nothing and just watch the industry grow.”

“If that happens,” it adds, “it can be difficult to make major changes to supply or regulations, but that will depend on the size and political power of the industry that has taken root.”

The new data released this week are based on survey interviews of 10,122 U.S. adults from September 9 through October 1, 2025, with a margin of error of ±1.33 percentage points.

The RAND Corporation, which is funded in large part by the U.S. government, is a nonprofit think tank and public consulting firm that’s helped advise policymakers on various issues. In 2021, for example, it released a government-funded report concluding that past cannabis use had relatively little impact on U.S. Army recruits’ overall performance.

Researchers at RAND also contributed to a 2018 report that found that past-month marijuana consumption decreased by a small but statistically significant amount among 8th and 10th grade students in Washington State following legalization there.

Image courtesy of CostaPPR.