Cannabis and alcohol have for some time, almost gone hand in hand as the leading ways to become inebriated throughout the U.S., but a new study shows that there may be more similarities between the two than anyone would have thought. One of the studies deals with the effects of using marijuana prior to drinking, and the second study refers to how marijuana laws affect those in the younger age range.
One study has recently shown that in states where cannabis is available easily, sales of alcohol and the interest in becoming inebriated from it, were significantly lower. This lowered number also coincides with the amount of cigarettes purchased. Now of course there are many other factors in the way, but this is showing that there is a correlation between the two products. The study also shows that this could potentially create a challenge in terms of marketing for the alcohol industry, as they would like consumers to stay loyal to their substance. The study states that in places where marijuana could be legalized, they “expected its marijuana consumption to rise, but the rise was especially significant among women and older, wealthier consumers — one of the wine industry’s target audiences.” The similarity in audience is something that presents a new challenge to the market, and also something that illustrates the importance and need for marijuana law reform.
According to a study on the consumption of alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana, “almost 5% of respondents tried cannabis first; by 2014, after relaxed laws in almost 30 states in both medical and recreational use, about 8% said they tried cannabis before alcohol and/or cigarettes. Those who tried cannabis before alcohol or cigarettes were more likely to become heavy pot users later on, and a small portion of them abstained from all vices as adults.” It seems as though the obvious correlation between legalization of cannabis and the use of cannabis, can be quantified in a study very easily.
This has somewhat affected the wine market, due to the fact that their target audience seems to be incredibly similar to the target audience of those who are now getting into using cannabis. The good news for the wine industry is that these changes won’t happen for some time, and the purchasing potential still remains high, however, if the federal government decides to legalize the use of cannabis nationwide, it would present an interesting case for other industries to look at. In regard to the perception of cannabis from the adolescent view, a study found that “state implementation of medical marijuana laws between 2004 and 2012 was associated with a 4.72% point increase in the probability that young adults perceived no/low health risk related to marijuana use. Medical marijuana law implementation is also associated with a 0.37% point decrease in the probability that adolescents perceived parental acceptance of marijuana use.” This data continues to illustrate the importance of not only educating individuals about the use of cannabis but rather showing that the market could continue to grow as the younger age group embraces this new change.
The marijuana industry is still very much in its infant stages which means that there is a large amount of room to grow before it can reach its full potential. With new studies like these helping to define the industry’s growth and those who reside within it, it seems as though the market on cannabis is only poised to continue its massive positive uptrend in the future. Only time will tell how these factors continue to affect the cannabis market.
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