Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/01/07/canada-legalized-pot-and-beer.html
…
4 Likes
I get a better buzz off the beer, but weed wouldn’t go direct to the waistline.
13 Likes
Consumption of snack foods like Jalapeño Cheetos and red licorice, however, has dramatically increased.
12 Likes
Interesting. I’ve noticed the same thing personally. Increasing my own pot consumption (from zero) has dramatically reduced my beer consumption.
But then my spouse increased her wine consumption in response. So I guess we’re evening out.
6 Likes
“Dude, did you bring the beer?”
“Oh, man, I knew there was something I forgot to do today, eh?”
6 Likes
In other news, my neighbourhood craft brewer quit his day job and is now a full time brewmaster. He’s doing just fine. I’d like to see separate stats for craft brew vs large industrial Pißwasser sales.
10 Likes
Did the crap Canadian beer during university days. Once I started working I was able to afford proper stuff like Guinness. Have never looked back. Molson and Labatt products make me sick.
2 Likes
I suspect at least part of the drop will prove to be temporary. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of it were permanent.
Moving to Toronto from Wisconsin, though, I’ve long felt that Ontario’s craft beer scene lagged behind the US. I felt part of that was from the LCBO and Beer Store, neither of which are terribly good at what they do, and part of that was a strong brewing tradition in Wisconsin.
My personal beer consumption has dropped down to nearly zero–mostly because there isn’t a lot of decent gluten free beer. (I did find one, the Glutenberg IPA, which isn’t bad–but the goddamn LCBO doesn’t seem to stock it consistently.)
1 Like
I prefer a beer buzz but alcohol in general is more harmful so to me a reduction on alcohol consumption is a win. After all breweries and distillers rely on heavy drinkers to drive up sales (article is from the UK but i would presume there’s overlap with other markets)
4 Likes
I also wouldn’t be surprised if cannabis would have a bigger impact on sales of cheap beer than fancy beer.
When I’m stoned, I’ve already got a buzz. Don’t need much more of one. But I sure do like delicious things.
So cannabis might go better with beer with a focus on deliciousness and worse with beer with a focus on getting you cost-effectively wasted.
I also prefer an alcohol buzz (didn’t always - I think it’s what I’m more used to now is all) but I don’t prefer how I feel all the time, when I have a drink or two every evening. If I only drink a few evenings a week I feel much better - and having just enough cannabis to get a drink or two’s worth of buzz as a way to achieve that, doesn’t seem to undermine the mental health benefits of the not drinking.
(If anything the weed might help - when I’m a little stoned, I notice when my body is stiff, so I stretch more. Having done more stretching helps me feel better the next day, as opposed to just not feeling worse)
6 Likes
THis is completely unsurprising. Literally every state that has legalized recreational use in the US, almost immediately sees reductions in “downer” drug use (opiates, alcohol, barbiturates, etc.).
3 Likes
I like the buzz from weed and if i could partake i would, but often times i drink beer not even for the buzz but because i genuinely like good beer. The point of my previous post though is that most beer sales come from people who irresponsibly drink so less of that is probably a good thing, i do presume people might also turn to weed as a crutch or over do it as well but a pothead is less likely to do damage the same way a raging alcoholic will.
1 Like
As somebody just a dog walk away from no less than 6 craft breweries in my home town that offer growler fills of good quality fresh beer, I point and chuckle politely at this report.
However, I am not in a “buck-a-beer” province but there I can see why a $20-bag would go a lot farther & better than a 2-4 flat of the bottom shelf beer.
Maybe pot isn’t the only reason.
2 Likes
I’ll always choose beer because I can have a single beer and carry on with a functioning life, whereas a tiny puff of marijuana is the end of any productivity for my day.
Also, there is a 100% chance that Bob & Doug McKenzie were toking up off camera, and a modern remake would definitely include marijuana. Having grown up with/as those characters, they definitely smoke weed (or at least do hot knives in the kitchen).
2 Likes
Even in the US beer consumption is down, i forget by what percentage… It’s not significant but the market is trending down. My parsing of it, since i’m also in a town chock full of local craft brewers, is that people are buying less beer but better quality. I drink seldomly but its typically a large bottle in the 9-14 dollar range once in a while, its a bit of a splurge but i try to make the odd bottle of beer worth my time.
7 Likes
LCBOs vary a lot from store to store. I get the impression that big-city ones are a lot better. The one near me has a great selection and knowledgeable staff. They stock quite a few craft beers.
My brother-in-law is celiac and likes Glutenberg. He also likes Bard’s, so you might try that if you haven’t already.
2 Likes
I feel some weird patriotic duty to go out and drink more beer.
1 Like
An interesting way to spend an evening in. 
2 Likes
Eventually there will be weed bars. With fun smoking gadgets and entertainment. Bar culture is going to take a HUGE hit and I can’t wait.
1 Like
Speaking as a Canadian: my cannabis use has not increased with legalization (fuck 'em - I’ve always used it) but my avid beer drinking has declined, largely as a means to reduce weight and keep myself from falling down stairs. So there.
3 Likes
