This Thanksgiving, a quiet revolution is taking place at dinner tables across the United States. The traditional glass of wine or beer is increasingly being passed over in favour of cannabis-infused treats, from gummies to turkey, marking a significant cultural shift during one of America's most cherished holidays.
The New Holiday Buzz: From Clandestine to Mainstream
Getting stoned on Thanksgiving was once a practice kept discreetly away from the family dinner table. Today, that has changed dramatically. As cannabis regulation has eased across nearly half of U.S. states, the substance has found its way into every aspect of the holiday feast.
Americans are now openly sampling infused seltzers, cannabis-enhanced stuffing, racks of lamb, and even experimenting with their gravy ingredients. Many feel no hesitation about breaking out THC gummies in front of their relatives, a scene that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
This movement aligns with the lifestyles of those who identify as "California sober"—individuals who abstain from or significantly limit alcohol consumption but remain open to other mind-altering substances like cannabis and psychedelic mushrooms. These substances are generally considered less addictive than hard drugs. Their presence at the traditional holiday meal shows how this lifestyle has spread far beyond California and well beyond just young users.
The Numbers Behind the Shift
The data confirms this isn't just an anecdotal trend. Alcohol consumption in the U.S. has fallen to its lowest level in decades, driven by multiple factors including health fears, the use of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs that can dull alcohol cravings, and the rising acceptance of cannabis.
According to a September Bloomberg Intelligence survey, about 51 per cent of respondents now substitute cannabis for alcohol at least weekly. This represents an increase of approximately five percentage points from the previous year.
The legal cannabis industry, valued at just over US$30 billion last year according to market tracker BDSA, has capitalized on this shift. The day before Thanksgiving—increasingly dubbed "Green Wednesday"—has become the second-biggest day of the year for legal U.S. cannabis sales.
"More Americans looking to relax this Thanksgiving may reach for a marijuana vape, gummy or hemp-based THC beverage instead of alcohol," observes Bloomberg Intelligence's Kenneth Shea. He adds that others are likely to favour low- and nonalcoholic drinks over cocktails as wellness becomes a greater priority.
A Family Affair: Generational Acceptance Grows
The transformation is happening within families themselves. Robert Sheiman, a 25-year-old software engineer from New York, provides a telling example. When he heads to Massachusetts for Thanksgiving with his physician parents, they'll still pour some wine—but considerably less than they used to. They need to save room for the THC gummies.
Sheiman describes his parents as "classic boomers" who have come to view pot as somewhat safer than alcohol. Their openness to edibles developed after he left for college, and over time, cannabis has become part of their family routine. Where they might have once paired three glasses of pinot noir with their turkey, they're now more likely to stop at one.
"You can't really do both," Sheiman notes, capturing the practical reality behind the substitution trend.
This period from Thanksgiving to New Year's has traditionally been one of the most important for alcohol sales, rivaling peak summer demand, according to Shea. The landscape is clearly changing as new traditions take root alongside the old, reshaping how Americans celebrate and connect during the holiday season.
