Germany: a THC beverage customer survey found many users drink less alcohol or quit entirely, adding a new signal to cannabis policy debate.
Germany’s cannabis debate is still being shaped by how new products fit into everyday use, and a fresh customer survey suggests THC-infused beverages may be acting as alcohol substitutes for many consumers. In the Marijuana Moment report, more than three out of four respondents said they drink less alcohol after trying the drinks, while 21 percent said they have quit alcohol entirely.
A customer survey points to alcohol substitution
The headline number is simple: 37 percent of respondents said they drink much less alcohol, 19 percent said they drink slightly less, and 21 percent said they have stopped drinking altogether. Another 44 percent said THC beverages have become part of their regular wellness routine, suggesting the drinks are being folded into habits rather than treated as an occasional novelty.
The retail setting behind those answers is easy to picture:
The company said an earlier poll last year found a similar pattern, with nearly four in five adults who drink cannabis-infused beverages reporting lower alcohol intake, and more than a fifth saying they had quit drinking entirely.
Why respondents say the format fits their routines
The survey did not just ask about alcohol. It also asked what users like about cannabis drinks, and the answers point to familiar reasons that are more about function than flair.
Asked why they like cannabis drinks, respondents pointed to a small set of recurring reasons:
- 80 percent said the products help them relax or unwind.
- 50 percent said they use them as a sleep aid.
- 51 percent said THC beverages help them avoid the negative effect of alcohol.
- 60 percent said there is no hangover.
- 35 percent said they use other cannabis products less often because the beverages are available; 15 percent said they consume cannabis only in drink form.
That mix matters because it suggests a product category that some consumers are using as a substitute, not an add-on. The survey also found that 44 percent already describe THC beverages as part of their regular wellness routine, which helps explain why the alcohol-reduction answers were so pronounced.
How the drinks are being bought, and what a ban could change
Buying is still led by online channels
The channel mix is still dominated by the internet, even though the drinks are also appearing in familiar retail settings:
| Channel | Share | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Online | 63% | THC-Infused Cannabis Beverages Are Helping People Quit Drinking Alcohol, Survey Shows |
| Grocery, liquor, convenience or specialty retail | 26% | THC-Infused Cannabis Beverages Are Helping People Quit Drinking Alcohol, Survey Shows |
| Marijuana dispensaries | 5% | THC-Infused Cannabis Beverages Are Helping People Quit Drinking Alcohol, Survey Shows |
A separate 5 percent said they buy the drinks at bars, restaurants or event venues.
The online side of the market looks like this:
A planned ban is already changing behavior
Survey respondents were also asked about the looming US federal ban on hemp-derived THC products, which is set to take effect in November. 87 percent said they know about the planned ban, 27 percent said they are already stocking up or buying more, and another 41 percent said they plan to as November approaches.
If the ban arrives as scheduled, respondents said they would react this way:
What respondents would do if the ban goes ahead
- Turn to other forms of cannabis68%
- Start drinking more alcohol23%
- Stop using THC entirely8%
Those numbers show the category is not only changing drink choices today; it is also shaping how users think they will respond to tighter rules tomorrow.
Why Germany is watching the same consumer signal
For Germany, the survey is not evidence of local behavior, and it should not be read that way. It is a company-run customer poll from the United States, not a German population study. But it does speak to the broader question facing policymakers: whether new cannabis formats can pull people away from alcohol or simply add another layer of consumption.
That is one reason the result sits comfortably beside our look at Germany’s KCanG evaluation, where the law’s direction remains politically contested.
The company’s earlier poll last year points in the same direction, so the pattern is not isolated within its customer base. Still, the evidence here is self-reported, brand-led and consumer specific; it is a signal, not a clinical conclusion.
What the survey does not prove
Readers will probably still have a few practical questions about the survey:
Reader questions about the THC beverage survey
How many people were surveyed?
Crescent Canna interviewed 1,637 adults over 21 who had tried a THC beverage at least once, between May 29 and June 11.
Does the survey prove THC drinks make people quit alcohol?
No. It reports self-described behavior from a company survey, so it shows what users say happened, not a clinical cause-and-effect result.
What did respondents say they would do if the ban takes effect?
67 percent said they would turn to other forms of cannabis, 23 percent said they would drink more alcohol, and 8 percent said they would stop using THC entirely.
Where do most respondents buy THC beverages?
63 percent said online, 26 percent in grocery, liquor, convenience or specialty retail stores, and 5 percent at marijuana dispensaries.
Taken together, the survey suggests THC-infused beverages are being used by some consumers as an alcohol substitute, and that the format may be changing habits more than a simple novelty product would. For Germany, the main value of the story is not as proof, but as a consumer signal: if lawmakers keep arguing about cannabis formats, this is the sort of behavior they will want to understand.
Sources
- Öffentliche Kifferzonen? | DHV-News # 514 (hanfverband.de)
- GKV & Blüten: Abstimmung verschoben, Petition online | DHV-News # 513 (hanfverband.de)
- EU Medical Cannabis Faces Its Most Consequential Regulatory Overhaul (businessofcannabis.com)
- Why a Medical Cannabis Policy Should be Mandatory for Employers (businessofcannabis.com)
- Survey: Healthcare Professionals Overwhelmingly Agree That Cannabis Has “Legitimate Therapeutic Uses” (norml.org)
- Cannabis Law Reform Is a Civil Rights Issue and Must Be Treated as Such (norml.org)
- THC-Infused Cannabis Beverages Are Helping People Quit Drinking Alcohol, Survey Shows (marijuanamoment.net)
- Virginia Officials Launch Marijuana Survey To Inform Drafting Of Rules For Newly Legalized Market (marijuanamoment.net)
- Europe’s Northern Gateway: Inside the Cocaine Trade in Belgium and the Netherlands (talkingdrugs.org)
- Bolivia Borrows Trump’s ‘Narco-Terrorist’ Label For Protestors (talkingdrugs.org)