Survey finds Gen Z prefer marijuana to alcohol

According to a recent survey conducted by US-based cannabis research firm, New Frontier Data, people aged 18-24 are more inclined to smoke marijuana than drink alcohol.

69% of Gen Z respondents reported preferring cannabis to alcohol, a trend researchers say may only increase in future.

Vice President of Public Policy Research at New Frontier Data, Amanda Reiman, says much of Gen Z’s affinity for marijuana comes in lieu of alcohol or tobacco use.

NFD’s Consumer Survey showed that cannabis consumers aged 18-24 were the most likely to say they never drank alcohol, with 19.7% considering themselves sober.

“Gen Z is the first generation to be of legal consumption age in an environment with widespread adult-use cannabis access,” Reiman told Bloomberg UK.

However, the preference seems to fade with age, as “just 44% of respondents aged 65-74 are choosing weed over booze.”

Although the survey shows that older age groups are less inclined to use cannabis as a substitute for alcohol, Gen Z isn’t entirely alone in its preferences.

According to NFD’s consumer survey, 60% of individuals within the age brackets of 25-34 and 35-44 years old reported replacing some of their alcohol intake with cannabis, without entirely quitting drinking.

In the UK, cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug. The use and possession of recreational cannabis is illegal, regardless of the user’s age. Despite this, almost 30% of 16 to 59-year-olds in England and Wales have reported using cannabis in their lifetime – this figure reflects a 6% increase from 2002-2020, per Statista.

A report conducted by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service concluded that Gen Z prioritises bodily and mental health over recreational activities such as drinking alcohol. This trend has already given rise to a 30% increase in sales of low alcohol and alcohol alternative drinks in the UK since 2016.

Based on these figures and reports, marijuana use among UK-based 18 to 24-year-olds as an alternative to alcohol could rise, just as it has done amongst their US counterparts. 

“The numbers suggest that young people [in the US] are learning to navigate the legal cannabis landscape without adopting compulsive, increased use, and may also be less likely to consume either alcohol or tobacco, thereby making cannabis their drug of choice,” Reiman concludes in the report.

Illustration: Sophie Donne