I think at least part of it is due to weed. Both it being legalized and being more popular than it’s ever been in non-legal states. At least for me, smoking weed kills my desire to drink nearly as much. Usually at parties or just hang outs it starts off with a beer or mixed drink or three, then someone breaks out the weed and suddenly I’m nursing my fourth drink for an hour.
Weed legalization hasn’t been sudden though. It’s progressed from medical to decriminalized to legal state by excruciating state.
As this graph is national, it makes sense that there wouldn’t be a cliff because there’s no particular date when we could say weed became legal.
Still not legal in any way here in texasss, and I assume we’ll be the very last of the last to do so. But even here, it’s so easily accessible that a good number of younger people I know tell me they prefer weed to alcohol. In legal states, that tendency must be much higher.
Weed has had a steady increase in popularity since like the 70s. I kind of agree, I’m sure there should be some cliff in the states where it was legalized, or if not my theory is bunk. It’s only based on an anecdote tbf.
Edit: actually if we want any theory it seems pretty clear that the beginning of the drop off started right about at the market crash of 2008.
Also interesting that female rates stayed steady to the point that they’ve actually overtaken male rates.
I think at least part of it is due to weed. Both it being legalized and being more popular than it’s ever been in non-legal states. At least for me, smoking weed kills my desire to drink nearly as much. Usually at parties or just hang outs it starts off with a beer or mixed drink or three, then someone breaks out the weed and suddenly I’m nursing my fourth drink for an hour.
Would we not expect sudden changes then? This is a steady decline, not indicating any sudden changes in laws or anything.
Weed legalization hasn’t been sudden though. It’s progressed from medical to decriminalized to legal state by excruciating state.
As this graph is national, it makes sense that there wouldn’t be a cliff because there’s no particular date when we could say weed became legal.
Still not legal in any way here in texasss, and I assume we’ll be the very last of the last to do so. But even here, it’s so easily accessible that a good number of younger people I know tell me they prefer weed to alcohol. In legal states, that tendency must be much higher.
Do we have the same date for individual states? Perhaps some with and some without legal weed?
Weed has had a steady increase in popularity since like the 70s. I kind of agree, I’m sure there should be some cliff in the states where it was legalized, or if not my theory is bunk. It’s only based on an anecdote tbf.
Edit: actually if we want any theory it seems pretty clear that the beginning of the drop off started right about at the market crash of 2008.
Also interesting that female rates stayed steady to the point that they’ve actually overtaken male rates.
The graph maker certainly seems to think so at least