• Study shows cannabis-infused drinks can cut alcohol consumption by nearly 50%.\n• Researchers from University at Buffalo highlight cannabis as a harm‑reduction tool for heavy drinkers.\n• Alcohol linked to 7 cancers and ~200 diseases; cannabis poses fewer health risks.\n• First research to evaluate cannabis beverages specifically for alcohol harm reduction.\n• Market projections: cannabis drink sales could exceed $4 billion globally by 2028.\n• Acceptance of cannabis drinks as mainstream harm‑reduction strategy remains a long‑term goal.
Article Summaries:
- A University at Buffalo study published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs found that cannabis‑infused beverages may help some adults reduce alcohol consumption. Surveying 438 cannabis users, researchers reported that those who drank cannabis drinks cut their weekly alcohol intake from an average of 7.0 to 3.4 drinks-nearly a 50 % reduction-and reported fewer binge‑drinking episodes. About 59 % of cannabis‑drink users said they substituted cannabis for alcohol, compared with 47 % of users of other cannabis products. The study, the first to examine cannabis beverages as an alcohol harm‑reduction tool, highlights a potential new strategy for lowering alcohol‑related health risks.
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