A Happi Medium: Is Alcohol All Bad?

Having Your Wine and Drinking THC Too

When people ask how much alcohol I drink given I am running a cannabis company my answer is always the same: “A glass of wine on the weekends.”

How many of you can relate?

With the most recent news about alcohol and its link to cancer, I have begun questioning even my weekend wine habit. And it seems this question is popping up everywhere these days. Even wine writers and critics are questioning their own consumption. So is wine really all bad? What happened to red wine actually being good for women and our heart health?

Almost 60% of US wine drinkers are women. So giving up this familiar sip may feel daunting. And in many ways, it is not the actual wine or beverage itself that feels hard to walk away from. It is the ritual around wine or other drinks that we feel so attached to. My brilliant cannabis colleague Diana Eberlein said it perfectly in a recent comment about still loving her wine. There’s just something about socializing with a glass of wine that can feel like a giant hug.

The THC beverage category doesn’t yet have strong rituals or experiences associated with drinking like we do for wine. We don’t have fancy glasses named after varietals. Or occasions that just feel right for a THC beverage. The way champagne and toasts just go hand in hand. But new habits around THC are being built slowly. And we are beginning to see patterns emerge at Happi.

I didn’t have a name for this pattern until recently: Zebra Striping. Or as we like to call it here, a Happi Medium.

This concept of alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks is gaining traction. It is more about moderation and a way to drink responsibly without giving up alcohol entirely. Like drinking less alcohol during the week so you can have that glass of wine on the weekends.

Diageo confirmed the trend is on the rise in its Distilled 2025 report, citing that 36% of Americans use zebra striping to moderate their drinking. They noted the practice is trending upwards in both the US and UK, with six in 10 people saying they were either definitely, or likely to use zebra striping as a way to moderate their alcohol in 2025.

After seeing dozens of articles about this concept late last year, we dove into Happi’s data to see if this is happening with our own consumers.

Sure enough, Happi consumers are already finding this Happi medium:

• 30% drink alcohol weekly or a few times a week

• 30% also drink Happi a few times a week

So this trading off is real. Cannabis beverages like Happi are already gaining a spot in daily, weekly and monthly beverage routines.

And almost 60% of Happi drinkers are specifically replacing wine with a Happi. With spirits or cocktails a close second.

But the biggest surprise? When people drink Happi.

There are so many wine occasions - over dinner at home with friends, out for a fancy date night, or that perfect glass of white on a summer afternoon. So when are we supposed to drink wine and when does a THC beverage make its appearance?

So much has been said and assumed about THC beverages for larger social occasions. As a “social tonic” or a party drink. But at Happi, we have seen the opposite. People are consuming Happi beverages to relax at home or in smaller groups - think a book club, a small dinner party, or date night at home. Saving that glass of wine or cocktail for the weekend to socialize.

This makes complete sense. Happi is designed for relaxation. Alcohol is a social lubricant.

Therein lies the magic of cannabis beverages. They do not need to be designed as a 1:1 replacement for alcohol. There are so many beverage occasions throughout the day when we humans consume liquids. And THC drinks can fit right into all of these. They can be used for relaxing, for energy, for sleep. Can a glass of wine do that?

The desire to drink cannabis beverages in smaller settings also makes sense as cannabis still carries a substantial stigma. Many people are still not quite comfortable drinking a cannabis beverage out and about at parties and in larger groups. Especially women. I fully get it. Who wants to get way too high and panic at a party? Been there, done that.

So as we sit squarely in February and all the hype around Dry January wears off, I think more and more consumers are finding this Happi Medium. Maybe you can drink your wine and Happi too.

Tell me, are you all finding this Happi Medium or what’s working for you this month?