Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
MALDEN, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The ‘dry January’ challenge has more people switching over to a plant alternative for a buzz.
“2020 is when you saw a lot of people switching over from alcohol into cannabis," Geoffrey Green, General Manager at Misty Mountain Shop in Malden, told WBZ NewsRadio.
He added that business three to four years ago was usually slow or at a “complete halt” during this time of year. Now, he says the shop has been getting an increase in sales.
"We’ve definitely seen anywhere from five to 10 percent uptick in people coming in especially in the January and February month," he continued.
Green said the this shift into cannabis might also be due to a larger national trend among the younger generation straying away from alcohol consumption.
According to a 2023 Gallup survey, fewer than four in 10 young adults ages 18 to 34 say they are regular drinkers, that’s down six points compared to two decades ago. Additionally, a recent study published in 2024 found that daily marijuana consumption has surpassed alcohol for the first time ever.
Green said he is also seeing this trend in store as more people are taking dry January more seriously.
"We are definitely seeing a lot more people coming in, trying cannabis for the first time, really trying to, not completely wean off of alcohol, but really not use it as a daily crutch," he said, adding that customers ranges from 21 year-olds to grandparents.
“Being able to smoke and wake up the next morning without a hangover is always a plus, so a lot of people have been turning to that," Green said.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Chaiel Schaffel (@CschaffelWBZ) reports.
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