A recent poll done by YouGov has revealed that most Americans believe cannabis to be the better choice over alcohol, as the majority of those polled believe it would be beneficial if people converted to marijuana and drank less alcohol than believe it would be harmful.
27% thought it would be better if people consumed more cannabis than alcohol, whereas only 20% said that it would not be a good idea. 38%, the majority of the respondents, felt it would be neither good nor harmful, and 15% said they weren’t certain. As more states continue the fight for cannabis legislation reform and marijuana legalization, it is highly likely that we’ll see an increase in the trend towards cannabis over alcohol consumption.
Alcohol VS Cannabis
There has been much debate over the benefits and drawbacks of cannabis versus those of alcohol, and cannabis activists usually bring up the fact that alcohol has many known long-term negative side effects and health issues linked to it. Additionally, alcohol poisoning (a serious consequence of consuming large volumes of liquor at one time) can be fatal.
Excessive alcohol use can lead to the development of chronic diseases and other major issues such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive issues over time. Breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, voice box, liver, colon, and rectum cancers are all common.
The overconsumption of cannabis, however, has never caused any deaths – according to the federal government’s own admission. Another factor to consider is the numerous health benefits associated with the cannabis plant, such as lowering blood pressure, reducing inflammation, aiding with symptoms of depression and anxiety, pain relief, and sleep management to name a few.
While both substances have a potential for addiction, however, addiction is largely due to a person’s genetics, circumstances, upbringing, and state of mind rather than the substance or item being abused. A person can be addicted to their cellphone and yet we see no legal restrictions on the use of those, do we?
Poll Particulars
According to the poll’s demographic breakdown, which included interviews with 10,412 Americans on February 28, Democrats were more inclined than Republicans and independents to say that switching from alcohol to marijuana would be beneficial (34 percent vs. 18 percent and 18 percent, respectively) (27 percent).
People aged 30-44 were the most likely to say cannabis replacement would be beneficial (34%), while only 17% of those aged 65 and older agreed.
What Cannabis Legalization Is Revealing
Irrespective of public opinion and the results of the poll, we can see from the uptake in cannabis sales in states which have legalized adult-use marijuana that there is a large number of people leaning into the cannabis market.
According to state data released this month, Massachusetts now collects more tax income from marijuana than it does from alcohol. This is likely due to the disproportionate and inequitable tax rates that the cannabis market is subjected to over the alcohol industry.
Last year, Illinois saw cannabis revenues surpass alcohol taxes for the first time, with the state earning roughly $100 million more from adult-use marijuana than alcohol in 2021.
Following the legalization of cannabis in neighboring Washington State, a 2019 investigation indicated that the incidence of drunk-driving accidents in Idaho declined.
It’s apparent from this recent YouGov survey that many Americans are opening up to the idea of legal adult-use cannabis. The cannabis industry has faced a prohibition that is long overdue for reform and even in the states which have made the necessary changes; the disproportionate tax rates in the cannabis market are yet another anchor weighing down the industry.
Cannabis IS a better choice. The BEST choice is to come chill with us every week at the Friday Sesh for a freshly packed bowl of the week’s best cannabis news & views.
