New Study Tracks How Cannabis Beverages Are Replacing Alcohol In Everyday Settings

By Jelena Martinovic, Featured Writer

What products are being used as alcohol alternatives in real-world settings?

A new large-scale study on cannabis-infused beverages aims to shed light on this question. The findings will be presented in a public webinar on June 4, 2026.

MoreBetter, a consumer-research platform, and the Network of Applied Pharmacognosy partnered to track over 5,000 participants and 20 brands across two cohorts in what is described as the largest dataset of its kind in the cannabis beverage category.

According to the dataset coming from Cohort 2 sponsor products, more than 80% of participants think cannabis beverages are safer than their usual alcoholic drink.

The study found that none of the products showed a statistically significant likelihood of causing next-day hangovers, further supporting a major reason consumers choose alcohol alternatives.

The data also showed participants incorporated infused beverages in their weekly routines, daily use, as well as specific social contexts, making them part of their existing drinking habits. The category has moved beyond novelty into flavor-focused, consistent products over the years.

At the upcoming webinar, Dr. Miyabe Shields and Dr. Riley Kirk will contextualize the findings within applied cannabinoid pharmacology, alongside aggregate data presentation from MoreBetter.

“This is the first time the cannabis beverage category has had behavioral data at this scale captured in real-world settings—not in a lab, not in a focus group,” according to a spokesperson for the webinar sponsor. “For any beverage category working to understand consumer adoption, this is the kind of evidence base that lets operators, retailers, and investors evaluate the opportunity with confidence.”