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Is legal marijuana cutting into craft beer?

October 14, 2014Chris Crowell

marijuana and craft beer

The early results are in, and it looks like beer and legal weed can be friends. Craft Brewing Business editors weren’t worried about this, but some forecasters and bean counters seemed to think that the new, hip recreational drug on the block was going to cut into the sales of the long-time staple.

Oh, but on the contrary! From the St. Louis Post Dispatch:

The legalization of medical marijuana has helped beer sales, contrary to previous research that pointed to a decline, according to a note from Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Trevor Stirling. Recreational pot use in the two states where it’s legal has so far not had a “significant impact” on beer, he said.

Per-capita beer drinking had a one-time increase of about 0.5 percent in the 10 largest states that have legalized medical marijuana, the Bernstein analyst found. While beer consumption later declined in those states, the rate of decline slowed to become more in line with the national average.

Remember that beer drinking overall is trending down, slightly, but those losses are only within those mighty Big Beer ranks. Craft beer, as we all know, is doing just fine.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. BeerLawCenter says

    October 17, 2014 at 6:10 pm

    Is legal marijuana cutting into craft beer? http://t.co/y15RXqNu9V @CraftBrewingBiz

    Log in to Reply
  2. SurreyLiquor says

    October 16, 2014 at 9:52 pm

    Is legal marijuana cutting into craft beer? http://t.co/slFcMvuK41

    Log in to Reply
  3. mrbrewreview says

    October 16, 2014 at 6:53 pm

    Is legal marijuana cutting into craft beer? http://t.co/xmUHWKWvpn via @craftbrewingbiz

    Log in to Reply
  4. WEAREJRG says

    October 16, 2014 at 5:58 pm

    Is legal marijuana cutting into craft beer? http://t.co/Y6BKLc55PN

    Log in to Reply
  5. BREWVANApdx says

    October 16, 2014 at 1:03 pm

    Don’t worry- weed & beer can be best of friends! “Is legal marijuana cutting into craft beer?” http://t.co/3cGtfT0SO0 #craftbeer #legalpot

    Log in to Reply
  6. CrowdBrewed says

    October 15, 2014 at 5:21 pm

    Is legal marijuana cutting into craft beer? http://t.co/8IygPUbYWk @craftbrewingbiz #weed #craftbeer #study #sales http://t.co/6SpaKRFOSX

    Log in to Reply
  7. RegnierIns says

    October 15, 2014 at 3:33 pm

    RT @CraftBrewingBiz: Is legal marijuana cutting into craft beer? http://t.co/oOEvVi8nmh

    Log in to Reply
  8. GlobalBevERP says

    October 14, 2014 at 5:10 pm

    Beer and legal weed can be friends–legalization of medical marijuana has helped beer sales #Beer #medicalmarijuana
    http://t.co/aw5VnKbINv

    Log in to Reply
  9. crsimp01 says

    October 14, 2014 at 11:42 am

    Is legal marijuana cutting into craft beer? http://t.co/mxUVmCem0a via @craftbrewingbiz

    Log in to Reply
  10. Cerveza Artesanal El Sauzal says

    October 14, 2014 at 11:37 am

    Cerveza Artesanal El Sauzal liked this on Facebook.

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