Cans of THC and CBD-infused beverages. Credit: USA Today NETWORK/Reuters

Cannabis-infused beverages are beginning to share shelf space with beer and hard seltzer in states where marijuana is legal.

Researchers at the University at Buffalo report that these cannabis-infused beverages may help some people reduce how much they drink. In a study published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, adults who used cannabis drinks reported cutting their weekly alcohol intake nearly in half after they started.

Alcohol’s health costs are well documented. It has been linked to at least seven cancers and nearly 200 diseases and medical conditions. Public health experts have long searched for ways to reduce that burden, especially for people who are not ready to quit entirely.

Yet cannabis itself is not harmless. But compared with heavy drinking, it is generally associated with fewer severe long-term health consequences. As legalization spreads, cannabis beverages—often containing THC, CBD, or both—have emerged as a new option.

A Subtle Swap

The Buffalo team surveyed 438 anonymous adults who had used cannabis in the past year. About 56% also consumed alcohol. Roughly one-third (33.6%) said they used cannabis beverages, usually one per occasion.

Those beverage users were more likely to report substituting cannabis for alcohol. About 58.6% said they did so, compared with 47.2% of those who used other cannabis products.

Participants who began using cannabis drinks reported drinking an average of 7.02 alcoholic beverages per week beforehand. After starting cannabis beverages, that number fell to 3.35 drinks per week. Reports of binge drinking also declined.

Nearly two-thirds (62.6%) said they reduced or stopped drinking alcohol after taking up cannabis beverages. A small share, 3.3%, reported drinking more.

This is a good time to mention that the risks of THC-infused drinks can differ from smoking cannabis. The CDC warns that cannabis foods and drinks can carry a greater risk of poisoning than smoked products, especially when packaging appeals to children or users accidentally consume too much.

“In the first study of its kind, we introduce the concept of having cannabis as harm reduction for alcohol,” said Jessica Kruger, the study’s first author and a clinical associate professor of community health and health behavior at the University at Buffalo.

“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.”

Harm reduction focuses on lowering risk rather than enforcing abstinence. For legal substances like alcohol, that approach may appeal to people seeking moderation instead of total avoidance.

Dr. Kruger added, “I think we have a long way to go before this is seen as mainstream as cannabis beverages are a new modality of use.”

Euromonitor estimated that hemp-derived intoxicating beverages were a $239 million U.S. market in 2023, while Reuters reported that THC drink sales were projected to top $1 billion in 2025.

Lessons From a Mock Bar Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The idea that cannabis might curb drinking has surfaced before.

In a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, researchers at Brown University built a controlled “bar lab.” Participants smoked cannabis and then entered a dimly lit room with drinks on tap, free to order up to eight small alcoholic beverages. When participants smoked cannabis containing 3.1% THC, their alcohol intake fell by 19%. With 7.2% THC, it dropped by 27% compared to a placebo.

Another older study from 2009 found that some medical cannabis users reported using cannabis as a substitute for alcohol and other substances. More recent work has also found that many cannabis users say their alcohol intake declines after cannabis use, though these findings relied on self-reports rather than controlled experiments.

But Dr. Metrik, who led the study, cautioned against overreach. “We’re not ready to tell people seeking treatment for alcohol, ‘Go ahead and substitute cannabis, and it will work out for you,’” she said.

The Buffalo study also relied on self-reported surveys rather than a clinical trial. Nearly half of beverage users did not know the cannabinoid content of their drinks. Because the study was observational, it cannot determine whether cannabis beverages caused the reduction, or whether people already motivated to drink less simply chose them.

Even so, the findings arrive amid broader shifts. Marijuana use has risen sharply over the past decade, while some surveys show alcohol consumption declining, particularly among younger adults.

Cannabis beverages may not solve the public health challenges posed by alcohol. But for some alcohol consumers, they may offer a less harmful choice.

This article originally appeared in February 2026 and was updated with new information including findings from other studies.