Alcohol Sales Fall in Medical Marijuana States

(Spring 2018) According to recent research, states that allow medical marijuana have witnessed decreasing alcohol revenue. The study analyzed 10 years (2006-2015) of alcohol sales information from 90 chain retailers and concluded that counties within states that allow medical marijuana experienced close to a 15% reduction in monthly alcohol purchases after the implementation of a medical marijuana law.

The study suggests that alcohol and marijuana users overlap. Viewed from a broader perspective, it may also signal to alcohol manufacturers a potential slide in sales as more states legalize recreational marijuana. Some speculate that wine sales will be less impacted than beer, as people sometimes like to enjoy a glass of wine with a meal. On the flip side, smoking marijuana often spurs individuals to eat and drink, so an argument could also be made that legalizing marijuana may lead to a hike in alcohol consumption. Additional research will be needed to identify other newly-developing patterns.

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