Study Finds Medical Cannabis Useful as Substitute for Alcohol
A new study, entitled “Helping Settle the Marijuana and Alcohol Debate: Evidence from Scanner Data,” has provided additional data to suggest that medical cannabis could help curb alcohol addiction.
According to the The Daily Courier, the authors analyzed data regarding purchases of alcoholic beverages in over 2,000 counties in the United States, ranging from 2006 to 2015. Using the data, researchers discovered that alcohol sales dropped by 13 percent in states where medical cannabis is already legalized. “We believe that the implications of our findings may be a useful contribution to economic policy not only because they provide strong evidence that can help settle the debate on the type of relationship between alcohol and marijuana, but more importantly, because they address concerns about the potential spillover effects of medical marijuana laws on use of other substances that might contribute to negative health and social outcomes as the relationship between these substances is an important public health issue,” the authors wrote.
This isn’t a new concept. In fact, among many other medical conditions that medical cannabis can help treat, cannabis has also been considered to be a strong substitute for alcohol for some time. It isn’t new to people like Michelle Alexander, who works for MJ Consulting LLC, which certifies patients for medical cannabis cards. According to Alexander, an estimated 10,000 patients have claimed that they obtained medical cards specifically to use in the place of alcohol. ‘I would dare say as much as 60 percent are using marijuana to reduce and eliminate alcohol,” she added. “It’s pretty easy for people to swap one out for the other because one makes them feel well and the other one is going to really make them hurt when they wake up the next day.”
Every study that helps provide more solid argument regarding the benefits of cannabis is another piece of evidence that will help cannabis in the future. Especially with the United States’ crisis with addiction, the industry needs every positive study it can get.
