I Gave Up Booze For Cannabis

When Cannabis Becomes Celebratory and I Quit Alcohol

As 2018 draws to a close, millions of people around the world will pull out a cold one, raise their drinks and get completely inebriated celebrating the coming of the new year. We have been doing this ritual for thousands of years and one can say that it’s engrained within the collective consciousness of humanity.

Over the past few years the prevalence of cannabis has allowed certain consumers to switch to a less risky substance as their celebratory means. However, this trend hasn’t gone mainstream mainly because the culture of cannabis is quite different than the culture of alcohol.

The social element behind alcohol consumption is one of the reasons why, despite the numerous health risks, people still continue to drink alcohol excessively. While certain folks do smoke a bowl in victory, it’s far more common to raise a glass when accomplishing a major milestone in life. Similarly, collective victories also tend to sway in the favor of alcohol as the celebratory avenue.

This social element of alcohol is one of the major reasons why it’s still number one when it comes to days like New Years and so forth. Alcohol is a social lubricant as well. It allows people to break their social boundaries and engage with strangers far easier than with cannabis.

This isn’t to say that cannabis doesn’t possess these characteristics. Cannabis is a highly social drug as well. People share joints and bongs and the “victory bowl” is a thing.

However, seeing that the recreational market is still very young, most people will still choose alcohol this year over cannabis.

When Cannabis Becomes Readily Available

The current dominance of alcohol during festive seasons might not last. As cannabis becomes more popular and more countries legalize the drug, we might start seeing a shift in the preferred intoxicant during the holiday seasons.

A few things would have to change to effectively initiate this change.

In order for it to become a more socially used drug, the need for public consumption would be necessary. Alcohol has bars. Weed currently are not allowed to have the same freedom in most places. Of course, post-legalization (when the federalism around marijuana dies) the concept of Cannabis Lounges, Restaurants and the likes will all become reality.

When people will have the freedom to go out and get high in a club or a bar, the dynamics around cannabis consumption will change significantly. We’ll see super bowl parties, Christmas gatherings and the likes happen at a higher frequency.

And once the edible market masters the art of infusing drinks, providing a consistent high for consumers, it doesn’t take a lot to imagine that consumers might prefer an intoxicant that won’t give them a hangover the next day.

Will you be Going Green this Holiday Season?

Personally, I don’t drink much anyhow. I do enjoy a beer or two, or perhaps a glass of wine. But for the past decade my major means of “intoxication” has been cannabis. I much rather prefer to eat an edible or smoke a blunt to celebrate major milestones. It allows me to remain functional.

As for a social lubricant, cannabis also helps many people. However, it’s not always the case. The other day I was smoking up with a few friends and as opposed to getting more social, I became more contemplative. I was more focused on what was going on inside my head than engaged with the conversation. I guess the type of strain I smoked might have played a role, but it is something that we have to consider.

Unless you’re smoking some hyped up Sativas, you could become more introverted. Thus, if the cannabis industry would like to become the “celebratory substance of choice”, the quest to creating a consistent designer high is of the utmost importance.

Nonetheless, I will be toking up to the new year. I much rather prefer to smoke up, rest up and start off the year on the right foot as opposed to getting shitfaced on the last day of 2018 and taking three days of 2019 to recover.

In my family, we do make edibles and infusions over the holiday season. I know that many of you might not be in the fortunate situation where you’re living with people who are tolerant. But that doesn’t mean that you have to get drunk over the holiday season.

Make yourself a few edibles, keep your drinking limited and enjoy the new year with cannabis coursing through your body and brain. Without alcohol in the mix, you might not need to have an early “walk of shame” or any of the other shenanigans that may occur with booze in control.

Whether you’re going green this year or sticking to the booze, I for one wish to send you seasonal greetings and hope that your 2019 will be something to remember.

Merry Kushmas folks!