Can cannabis help reduce alcohol intake?

We all use alcohol for different reasons. For many it’s a stress reliever at the end of a long day, and for others it’s used as a social lubricant for parties and events. No matter the reason, it’s something that is engrained in our culture and many people’s daily routines. However, a study performed in 2021 at Oxford University concluded that no amount of alcohol is good for you. So, now what; ditch alcohol altogether? Be stressed out daily? Be awkward at parties? Nope, just switch to cannabis.

Normally, this would be quite the transition for a few reasons. For one, if you’re a daily alcohol user, you may have acquired a level of dependence to it that could be surprisingly hard to stop cold turkey. Another reason is that the traditional form of cannabis required it to be smoked. For non-smokers, this is a deal breaker. Then came edibles, but eating a gummy didn’t satisfy the “routine” that’s been developed for your evenings. People are creatures of habit. Simply dropping a habit entirely would only work in the short term for a person of average will power. Another study conducted by researchers from University of Colorado at Boulder and Colorado State University concluded: “Across the sample, individuals drank approximately 29 percent fewer drinks.”

So if smoking cannabis and eating gummies is out of the picture, what’s the alternative? Water soluble formulas. Thanks to nano emulsification, cannabis oil particles can be broken down into a size small enough to “dissolve” in water without separating like any oil normally would. This means that extracts can be added to beverages, satisfying your expectation for a cocktail in your hand. Another advantage to water soluble formulas is that they don’t require the extract to be metabolized before you start to feel the effects. As you drink, the extract soaks into the mucus membranes in your mouth, esophagus, and stomach. This allows for a much faster absorption time and allows more of the cannabis to enter your bloodstream than traditional edibles. So, it behaves more like an alcoholic drink in the timing and the “feel” of it. There are many products sporting this new extraction method. Everything is available from pre-mixed beverages like sodas, seltzers, and lemonades. There are also flavorless drops that can be mixed into any beer, wine, or cocktail for a totally stealth experience.

Nobody expects you to stop alcohol and switch solely to cannabis. If you’re interested in reducing your alcohol consumption without entirely swearing it off, they can be mixed. Needless to say, both substances are intoxicating, so proceed with caution. But in some ways, this can be the best solution since you’re never consuming very much of either thing. The average person would be pleasantly surprised about how much a small splash of water soluble cannabis in their favorite drink could drastically cut back on how much alcohol they consume. This is not to mention the residual mood elevating and pain reduction benefits the cannabis extracts can have on you into the following day. Let’s see alcohol do that on it’s own…