Data suggests cannabis is a new holiday tradition

It used to be something you had to walk out because you “forgot something in the car” – but now it's completely mainstream

The holidays were filled with wine, eggnog, and maybe a friend or relative who was served a little too much. The cliche goes that some of the younger cousins ​​“forgot something in the car” and have a little puff-puff pass. But with over 50% of the country having access to legal weed, these ideas must move into the modern era. And now data suggests cannabis is a new holiday tradition.

RELATED: What to consider before giving the gift of marijuana

With the legal trend and states like Ohio, Arizona, Michigan and Alaska making cannabis fully available for recreational use, it has become very mainstream. Even Fox News has caught on as the majority of their viewers believe in some form of legalization. And people ages 65 and older experiment with marijuana more than any other age group.

TD Cowan released data showing marijuana continues to outpace alcohol. TD Cowan's Viven Azur is one of the leading data and financial analysts covering alcohol, cannabis and tobacco. According to the data, states with access to legal cannabis marijuana are underperforming. Meanwhile, 5-year alcohol volume in adult-use cannabis states is worse than non-cannabis states.

RELATED: Easy Holiday Whiskey Cocktails

TD Cowen said alcohol purchases have historically increased 5% annually. However, younger consumers are choosing to stay sober longer. As a marijuana mainstream, Azur expects cannabis sales to increase 11% in 2023 and alcohol consumption to increase 3% in 2023. As cannabis users drink less, they report using cannabis more frequently.

RELATED: The Best Ways to Unplug from Work Over the Holidays

And BDSA, a leading data analytics company that also covers the cannabis space, released surprising data. Women have received a big hug. In fall 2019, 43% of marijuana users were women, and in spring 2023 the figure was 47%. As the user market has grown, the proportion of female users has also grown.

Since women tend to drive holiday celebrations, meals and family gatherings, the near-equal consumption means marijuana is more on the list of acceptable things than before. And with the younger population drinking less and eating more gummy bears, that means a change during the holiday season. So the data suggests that cannabis is a new holiday tradition and here to stay.