A recent survey of 2,000 consumers in North America by A.T. Kearney finds Canadian and American consumers not only aware of cannabis, but also willing to try legal, non-psychoactive cannabis products for their health benefits.
When asked if they would use recreational cannabis instead of consuming alcohol forty-five percent of respondents said they “would not try.” But of the remaining respondents, 27 percent chose beer when they were asked which alcohol they would replace with cannabis.
The findings clearly demonstrate a close affinity between beer drinkers and cannabis consumers and support earlier findings which suggested that beer sales are declining in markets where recreational cannabis is legal. (inside.beer, 30.11.2016)
This also explains, why major brewing companies like Constellation Brands (inside.beer, 15.8.2018), or MolsonCoors (inside.beer, 16.10.2018) have bought or launched cannabis companies.
Canada was this month the second country in the world after Uruguay to legalize cannabis for recreational use. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who fought two years for this reform invited people from all over the world to come to his country to consume and enjoy cannabis. Hours after the bill entered into force on October 17, cannabis was sold out throughout the country. For the time being, production capacity falls short of demand and the situation will most likely not improve in the near future.
Canada is now the first practical trial to verify the findings of the A.T. Kearney study. If the consumption of beer will really suffer because of cannabis, other brewers will be inclined to enter the cannabis market as well.
