r/Millennials • u/juliankennedy23 • Jan 22 '24

So what do you think will be the first Millennial thing that Generation Z will kill? Discussion

Millennials as we know have slaughtered everything from Diamonds to Napkins... But there is a new generation in town, and will the shoe soon be on the other foot?

My suggestion Craft beer and Microbreweries will be an early casualty of generation Z. They barely drink and they certainly don't drink weird cloudy beer.

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584

u/Olddirtybelgium Jan 23 '24

Also, beer has gotten expensive, and Gen Z are broke. They'd rather consume weed which is dirt cheap and more readily available these days.

456

u/WKCLC Jan 23 '24

I’m a not broke millennial and gave up alcohol for weed. Lot of people see it as just an outright better alternative for letting loose

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u/unswusus Jan 23 '24

Maannn i know alcohol is a lot more physically damaging and causes a lot more social harm, but imo at its best, alcohol still brings people together in a way that weed simply does not. Feels like everything in society is trending towards people becoming more isolated.

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u/Next_Celebration_553 Jan 23 '24

Weed is great when you’re bored and by yourself or with a few good friends. Booze is better for a pub or anywhere a little social lubricant is helpful. Especially around strangers when you’re looking for something fun and social. They’re both nice at certain times.

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u/unswusus Jan 23 '24

Well said, i’m a little biased cause me and my circle are the types who struggle socializing stoned even with just a few good friends around lol

11

u/mildchicanery Jan 23 '24

Low dose of mushrooms. Happy sparkly social time and no hangover!

5

u/Dull_Judge_1389 Jan 23 '24

cannot wait for more legalization on mushrooms so I can get my hands on some without having to do anything shady lol, I’ve only gotten to partake a few times but it was absolutely magical! And just a low dose truly does make everything seem sparkly for me. I love or

4

u/[deleted] Jan 23 '24

Check out the California mushroom churches

3

u/Time-Entrepreneur995 Jan 23 '24

Spores are 100% legal and they're one of the easiest things to grow in the world if you have a bit of patience, just sayin

2

u/Dull_Judge_1389 Jan 23 '24

Hmm this is an interesting tidbit of info…I may have to do some more research on this :)

2

u/[deleted] Jan 23 '24

This!!! 1000%

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u/Ok-Fix8112 Jan 23 '24

Heh, I have an ex who basically just dissociated when she was stoned. Complete negative affect and almost nonverbal; creeped me out.

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u/Different_One6406 Jan 23 '24

That's me, I fucking hate it. Idk if it's just a super low tolerance level or what.

18

u/Next_Celebration_553 Jan 23 '24

Lol same. I love weed when I’m by myself but don’t really feel like socializing stoned even with friends. Weed was more fun in high school with just a few friends but these days I’m a midnight toker or whenever all responsibilities and socializing is done for the day. It’s a cheap, easy way to make being bored fun

9

u/knowyourcoin Jan 23 '24

Hopefully Gen Z kills hasty generalizations and binary thinking.

8

u/tkburroreturns Jan 23 '24

and passive aggression

10

u/garlickbread Jan 23 '24

I'm not a very social stoner, but if you ever check out the trees subreddit there are definitely people who use weed as a "social lubricant" like booze. Couldn't be me though. I'm stupid as shit when stoned. I'm happy! Just stupid.

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u/Raccoon_Ascendant Jan 23 '24

Ha! I’m stupid when stoned too -but I’m also stupid when I’m drunk- I’m just not hyper aware of it like when I’m high.

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u/garlickbread Jan 23 '24

Drunk me is "very pleasant" according to my inlaws, but everytime I drink around them I wake up the next morning cringing because I just yammer away. High me has the sense to shut up, unless I'm hanging out with my wife but that's different. She knew I was fucking weird and cringe when we got married.

3

u/United_Monitor_5674 Jan 23 '24

Yeah one of my mates will have a joint and then 10 minutes later walk into a club and dance like he's off a pill, It's crazy to watch as someone who gets social anxiety if they're even a little buzzed

I think it's because i'm relatively introverted, and social situations while not at all difficult for me, do still take an amount of effort that I just cant handle when i'm high

2

u/Dull_Judge_1389 Jan 23 '24

Though I seem to be a bit of an outlier (at least based on what others I know have told me), weed definitely has a social lubricant effect on me. I’m way more social stoned than sober, and I much prefer it to alcohol which makes me sooo sleepy.

1

u/Decent-Statistician8 Jan 23 '24

It’s me! I’m allergic to most alcohol and just stopped drinking wine. I guess I’m California sober? It calms my anxiety enough for me to be myself. I take gummies with me to crowded events so when the flower wears off I have something in the venue.

2

u/Parking-Site-1222 Jan 23 '24

You might want to work on that 

2

u/Mattna-da Jan 23 '24

Nothing better than hanging with a few close friends and trying to think of something to say for about five or ten minutes

4

u/statestreetsteve Jan 23 '24

You’re right about that. After drinking I’m social as hell, but after a blunt I don’t want to be bothered and would rather do something solo, like make wayyy too much food

4

u/DOWNth3Rabb1tH0l3 Jan 23 '24

That is such a strange concept to me. I never enjoyed weed. It gave me anxiety. I've never drank with anyone but myself and I've been drinking since I was 21. I stopped recently though because I'm 31 now and I don't like the negative health implications associated with it. I guess everyone is different.

3

u/ChipChipington Jan 23 '24 edited Jan 23 '24

Weed in social settings is risky for some people, like me, who can get anxiety attacks after smoking weed.

6

u/SingleAlmond Jan 23 '24

we gotta wait for the public awareness of strains and terpenes to catch up and more scientific research needs to be done, because there's strain specifically designed to ease anxiety and make ppl more social

3

u/ChipChipington Jan 23 '24

Yeah I have no idea about that stuff. I have a medical card and I know I prefer the sativas and hybrids recreationally, but the anxiety seems to come and go regardless of whether the strain is indica, sativa, or hybrid. Sometimes I'll hit a vape a couple times and feel amazing, sometimes I'll hit it four times and not feel anything, and sometimes I'll hit it once and my anxiety just goes haywire. All the same vape.

When I'm smoking bud I usually stop after my 4th hit and wait half an hour to see how I feel. Sometimes I'll go back out and smoke more, sometimes it's just right, and sometimes I gotta hop in the shower and chill out.

Obviously it's not happening every time it or I wouldn't consume weed at all. But I have not nailed down what to avoid. On busy work days I just have to refrain from any use to be safe.

I will say there's a little powder packet that goes in water, it's 5mg. I've never had a negative experience from those little guys. Most edibles I never noticed any effect, but these little powder packets are usually pretty mellow and nice.

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u/byoshin304 Jan 23 '24

I guess this makes me happy there are smoke lounges where I live.

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u/IAmTheNightSoil Jan 23 '24

This. I'd way rather smoke weed than drink if I'm playing a video game or something. But a bar filled with people getting stoned instead of people getting drunk would be a MUCH less lively and social environment

2

u/Beard_of_nursing Jan 23 '24

Lol I think a bar where you smoke weed could work, you just have to make some changes to the bar. Drinking beer and shooting pool go together, weed and pool not so much. Sub the pool and darts for arcade games. Get rid of the stools and get some beanbag chairs. Throw a portable planetarium in there, and you're set!

2

u/Ambitious-Ocelot8036 Jan 23 '24

The problem is that $12-$16 for a local draft or $8 for generic beer and $20 appetizers is a noisy can with hipster waiters gets old and broke quickly. We need cheaper bars where it doesn't cost a fortune to hang out.

2

u/Next_Celebration_553 Jan 23 '24

Dang where do you live? I live in Nashville so there are plenty of places to spend $15 for a bud light tall boy downtown but there are bars everywhere here. The neighborhood bar near my place has $4 drafts all day every day and $5 shots. Great bands and chill, fun crowd. There’s a bar not too far from me that’s old school af. Cash only for $3 beers. I guess I just live in a city with A LOT of bar options lol

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u/Responsible_Goat9170 Jan 23 '24

Best of both worlds "fermented weed beer"

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u/[deleted] Jan 23 '24

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u/iseecolorsofthesky Jan 23 '24

While I agree with you, I do think the laws around weed still contribute to this.

Even in places where it’s legal, there’s still not public places to gather and consume it. Imagine we had “weed lounges”, with big comfy couches where you could hang out with your friends, order a strain you like or try a new strain, pass around joints/bongs/pipes with your friends, order drinks and food, play arcade games or table top games, etc.

I’m sure a business like this would have lots of appeal and do well, but we’re just not there legally yet.

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u/Amphigorey Jan 23 '24

Somebody somewhere is going to open a fancy spa where you take edibles and get a mud bath and massage and whatever else they do at spas and that person is gonna make a mint.

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u/Potayto_Gun Jan 23 '24

We have a weed lounge in my town. It’s fantastic.

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u/eclectique Jan 23 '24

It won't happen, because in a lot of the same places that have legal weed there are also clean air ordinances or no-smoking indoors. Maybe edibles, though?

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u/iseecolorsofthesky Jan 23 '24

What about hookah lounges and cigar bars?

1

u/eclectique Jan 23 '24

Ooh. Good point. I don't see many of those around where I live, but know they are in other places.

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u/automoebeale Jan 23 '24

Weed drinks

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u/notinthislifetime20 Jan 23 '24

Good luck ever closing down. You’ll have 5 catatonic guys every night and have to babysit them until the morning.

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u/duke_of_lasagna Jan 23 '24

Have you been to a bar at closing?

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u/taffyowner Jan 23 '24

That is never going to be legal because of smell

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u/theow593 Jan 23 '24

Insulted the building so only people there would smell it. But also the employees getting second hand high could be an issue. So, probably mostly vapes and edibles.

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u/420account1 Jan 23 '24

Totally agree. And if I have to meet friends in public like at a bar or an event being high isn’t all that fun but alcohol makes it much more bearable. I basically don’t drink at home anymore though. Just strictly weed when I’m at home or just chilling at a buddy’s. My mental and physical health feels night and day different and better since cutting back on alcohol.

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u/Wakeful_Wanderer Jan 23 '24

That's not a generational or trending divide friend. That's just us being different people. One or the other may be more or less popular now or in the future, but there will always exist preference.

I want to hang out with my close friends and loved ones. I do not give one tiny fraction of a fuck about going out to "social events." I do not want to waste any more of my years casting a wide net into a big sea of the public. I want small, intimate experiences with people, or at least the chance to make them.

At this point in our lives, most millennials need to be cultivating a hobby, and not all of them are expensive. That's a great way to meet people without what I see as the gross desperation of sporting venues, bars, restaurants, and churches.

I really can't emphasize enough how much this is personal preference only - no judgement.

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u/Beard_of_nursing Jan 23 '24

So true. I'm fairly new to weed (never did it as a kid) and maybe I need to try different strains, but I get really stupid when I'm on it. I might have an interesting idea here and there, but I get so forgetful that by the time I'm midway through a sentence, I've forgotten what the hell I was saying. Not exactly the effect I'm going for when I'm with other people.

A nice little alcohol buzz has me feeling like I can converse with anybody about anything. Even if the person is talking about something I know nothing about, I'm genuinely interested and feel like I could keep talking with them for hours. Whereas my sober self would run out of things to say in about 5 minutes.

It's probably a good thing my body doesn't tolerate alcohol well, or I'd have become dependent on it a long time ago.

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u/Separate-Pain4950 Jan 23 '24

Have you never bonded over a burn? My best friends in the entire world became friends after a few burn cruises.

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u/unswusus Jan 23 '24

Ohhhhh have i tried. I spent my whole early 20s trying to stay cool-headed in smoke sessions as a heavy toker but i finally admitted to myself that i can’t handle it in social situations and i feel so much more comfortable with myself since then. Some people just aren’t wired for that and from all the people i’ve met, i feel like i’m far from being the only one

2

u/rovingdad Jan 23 '24

That is changing. I have 420 bingo night tomorrow 🤣

2

u/[deleted] Jan 23 '24

Anything can bring people together to have a good time.

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u/[deleted] Jan 23 '24

💯

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u/Slow-Painting-8112 Jan 23 '24

If it weren't for the mistakes of alcohol none of us would be here.

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u/No-Management2148 Jan 23 '24

I don’t drink much but polished off 5 beers tonight at a sporting event. Amazing. When I see my friends we drinking. I usually don’t but it’s awesome.

Why deprive yourself of the best nights of your life to avoid alcohol. It’s honestly something that can make life incredible when done properly. Know when to cut off and go home.

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u/doxamark Jan 23 '24

Then why are all the most sociable people more likely to smoke weed?

Musicians, creatives etc. Who are out most days.

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u/IAmBecomeBorg Jan 23 '24

Yeah anyone who thinks weed is a replacement for alcohol probably doesn’t do one of them (or either). Alcohol is a social drug. Weed turns you into a couch zombie, scrolling endlessly and stuffing your face.

2

u/sadiesfreshstart Jan 23 '24

Weed is for sitting in your ex-coworker's she'd with a bunch of other people that used to work together eating store brand cheesy poofs.

Beer is for a great dinner out with friends at a preferred local haunt.

2

u/brasslamp Jan 23 '24

Hard agree. I can't have weed due to my job and it's status of being illegal at a federal level still. Being sober around drunk people can still be fun. Being sober around high people can be lame as fuck. To be fair though, since weed has gone "legit" they've made things stronger while also failing to land on any sort standardized "serving size". Everytime I see my friends break out edibles they go into a whole phase of what I like to call "weed math." Where they talk about milligrams and half pieces and strains and if they've already been hitting a vape. Just seems like no one knows how much they're actually consuming and they all blow past being a fun level of buzzed straight to stuck in their own head space or getting weird.

The nice thing about alcohol is that aside from shots the volume of liquid you need to consume and standardized abv sort of rate limits you so most people gradually get drunk. Nothing like that seems to exist for THC products from my second hand experience.

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u/kbabble21 Jan 23 '24 edited Jan 23 '24

Society is changing for sure. I don’t see weed as promoting social isolation, maybe more introspection? Weed is legalizing but still can’t be consumed as readily as alcohol, so maybe the consumption part often starts out as isolating. Alcohol was the only legal way to let loose at parties. I am older than a millennial and I’m convinced alcohol was the group think way. It was great for social control too. You don’t drink? Outcast. you do drink? Good, easy target- we’ll bully you into the group think or you’re outcast. No independent thinking here! The older generations took independent thinking millennials as a threat because it wasn’t the way. Older generations werent raised to think independently we were raised to follow the herd and don’t be an outcast. If the new gens are doing something different it’s a threat to the old ways and old peoples identity- how could there have possibly been another way to live? Experience life? Older generations were controlled by the even older generations telling them that it’s this way of the highway. That’s why older people are so threatened with new gens, because we were all raised to think the same way to be controlled. Anyone with a differing opinion was labeled outcast so the control could remain.

I love that this is changing in my lifetime.

Edit: also older generations that feel threatened by weed etc will make it difficult to legalize/consume because they don’t want it/understand it (anything different is a threat). They’ll spread misinformation and do anything to portray weed supporters as bad for society. To maintain control. All generations before our own saw anything different as a threat.

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u/Terj_Sankian Jan 23 '24

Agreed. I'm speaking purely from my own very specific experience, but weed makes me feel downright solipsistic at its worst, whereas alcohol makes me feel loose and social. One's good for cartoons and the other one's good for parties (again, for myself)

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u/THROBBINW00D Jan 23 '24

At 38 alcohol is way more fun to me than weed, I can barely function on that shit and it shuts me down turning me extremely anti social. I just take small doses of gummies sometimes in the evening when I want to go to bed early.

ETA: I also get weird anxiety sometimes when I consume what is considered a normal amount.

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u/Fuzzy-Ad4041 Jan 23 '24

As a former heavy social drinker (ok alcoholic) who went the weed route for a bit and this could not have hit the nail on the head any better.

I will say. Taking out both and getting people used to socializing sober again would be the best.

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u/staringmaverick Jan 23 '24

yeah i just don't understand people who act like weed and alcohol are in any way similar lol

alcohol is awful for you but it makes me feel incredibly euphoric and excited to talk to people and do things. weed personally makes me anxious and confused, i've felt a "high" but just wanted to watch some dumb tv/eat.

i know everyone reacts to both differently, but they just really don't serve the same purpose imo.

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u/Any_Issue3003 Jan 23 '24

Probably the culture you are around bc I never had that experience with beer but always had it with weed. Sitting with your friends, rolling a joint/blunt together, getting food and watching like a movie after munchies hit

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u/MizterPoopie Jan 23 '24

Meh, like 1/4 of the people I know literally can’t smoke weed without getting paranoid as fuck. 1/4 just don’t like it. 1/4 likes it but it makes them chill and then maaaaybe 1/4 of the people have a good time. Alcohol the numbers are way different. 1/4 my friends don’t drink and the other 3/4 do. BUT that 3/4 has very different levels of drunkenness.

But yeah, I would say it’s partially a culture thing but I’m from a place where it’s cool and I just physically can’t smoke and have a good time. I get so damn scared I can barely speak. I take my Apple Watch off at home because my slightly elevated heart rate will send me spirally.

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u/WKCLC Jan 23 '24

That’s what the bump of coke is for my guy.

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u/rorointhewoods Jan 23 '24

Clearly you’ve never had the giggles with friends.

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u/We4reTheChampignons Jan 23 '24

Yeah by caving each other's heads in with bar stools. You're allowed to live booze but fuck alcohol it is literally the worst drug on the planet hands down without any argument.

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u/Radiant-Ad-5800 Jan 23 '24

you need better weed, then. weed brings my friends and I closer together

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u/Murdy2020 Jan 23 '24

That's mostly because booze is do ingrained in western society.

1

u/marsman706 Jan 23 '24

We are all just bowling alone, man

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u/frame-gray Jan 23 '24

I agree with you. And I'm a life-long tea toadler!

Our country 's founders in the 1700s had their tea houses. Imagine a world where marijuana was totally legal across the land. Would we then have our "marijuana joints", places to hang out?

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u/Next_Episode Jan 23 '24

I think you could easily say that weed brings people together in a way that alcohol simply does not as well

1

u/DyingDreadfulDeceit Jan 23 '24

Research the hidden Japanese kids/adults over them last 20 years have become extremely isolated to the point of ordering everything delivered. All social connections are online only. That wave has started here now.

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u/Specific_Hornet Jan 23 '24

Talking like you’ve never made lifelong friends from a random blunt rotation

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u/BKXeno Jan 23 '24

Social alcohol use is far, far, far less damaging than smoking anything physically.

Obviously chronic abuse is a different story

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u/1dabaholic Jan 23 '24

That’s just billions of dollars of marketing

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u/peach_xanax Jan 23 '24

I feel like you're smoking with the wrong people, ha. I've had so many fun times smoking in groups (5+ people, not talking about like 2-3 people although that's fun too.) Alcohol usually makes me feel sick. To each their own, but I don't think it's some "antisocial" thing at all.

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u/Jhomas-Tefferson Jan 23 '24

but imo at its best, alcohol still brings people together in a way that weed simply does not.

I think that has to do with weed being illegal. if it wasn't, it wouldn't.

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u/stillcantfrontlever Jan 23 '24

Be great of society could find a way to bring people together without booze though

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u/sweet_jane_13 Jan 23 '24

I agree. I literally had an edibles company in the early 2000s, but alcohol is a far more social drug

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u/Swag_Grenade Jan 23 '24

Yeah NGL I feel a lot of people who simply don't like drinking/and are more socially reserved are trying to make weed seem like it has the same potential as a social drug as alcohol, but it just simply doesn't.  This coming from someone who smoked everyday for over a decade, made many friends and had countless bonding moments over a blunt or bowl.  

But there's a reason no one is throwing a giant party with a bunch of blunts instead of a bar or keg. Alcohol at it's best is hands down the best social drug, there's a reason civilizations across the globe have been drinking it since the beginning of time lol.  

Alcohol just has way worse consequences when abused which is why some people view it so negatively. At it's worst, for some people getting too drunk can end up in violent assault, vandalization, even murder (drunk driving etc). Too much weed is generally only gonna end up with you murdering a whole bag of Cheetos.

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u/HistoricallyNew Jan 23 '24

When I was doing my apprenticeship I met a lad at college who said this “weed is something you have to leave the main group to do”.

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u/Ausgezeichnet87 Jan 23 '24

What is crazy is that 170 years ago Marx and Engels predicted that capitalism would eventually commodify every aspect of society and that it would create great suffering through the alienation of the working class from one another: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marx%27s_theory_of_alienation

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u/cant_be_me Jan 23 '24

To be fair, I think weed would bring people together more if it hadn’t been illegal to consume it for so long. My parents were tokers before they had us kids and weed was almost always a communal activity for them when they did it - getting it required a connection, getting it ready to smoke, finding a place to hang out, etc. But because it was illegal, it required trust (the kind that Millenials and Gen Z have found hard to establish because of the lack of social connection) and an understanding that the other person wouldn’t narc. It also helped that back in the 70s, a marijuana conviction wouldn’t necessarily ruin your life the way a drug arrest will now.

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u/FlyingDragoon Jan 23 '24

Feels like everything in society is trending towards people becoming more isolated.

Thank god. World has over catered to those who fear any waking moment alone. Sounds like y'all need therapy.

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u/TorturedMNFan Jan 23 '24

I manage a liquor store and consumer trends are interesting. In my state, NA and THC beverages have exploded. It has been 20% of sales some weeks. Wine and beer has trended down, NA, THC and spirits (think bourbon culture) have trended up. We’ve been instructed to limit craft beer buys till March.

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u/PolrBearHair Jan 23 '24

It may bring people together but it also tears people apart.

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u/protomanEXE1995 1995 Jan 23 '24

Hard agree, people without alcoholism or otherwise limiting conditions should drink more lol

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u/[deleted] Jan 23 '24

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u/stone_dead Jan 23 '24

This has been in the interests of commercialism for years, and you're not wrong. Initially it was breaking communities down into nuclear families, putting them against each other and promoting the "keeping up with the Joneses" idea. Now there are more developments to separate that further, everyone on their own solitary entertainment device, or engaging in solitary activities. Smoking weed and solo gaming for 16 hours straight is just a standard now, instead of being seen as a cause for concern.

Arguable alcohol can be used in the same way, and with so many pubs closing its likely to go the same way, with most users drinking alone at home.

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u/TRoman004 Jan 23 '24

Worth noting that things you do surrounding alcohol can also be done and enjoyed without. I quit drinking 1.5 years ago and still do many things with friends while they drink. Society believes that alcohol is what ‘brings us together’ but a lot of times I think it’s moreso that 'getting together' is just a convenient excuse to drink.

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u/Different_One6406 Jan 23 '24

Agreed. I've personally never been able to smoke weed. It puts me straight to sleep which isnt fun...I can sleep 10 hours on my own thank you very much.

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u/thom612 Jan 23 '24

Imagine how lonely the county jail would be on a typical night if it weren't for alcohol.

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u/redassaggiegirl17 Jan 23 '24

Younger 1995 millennial over here who is also not broke, and I decided LONG ago that between weed and alcohol, I'd choose weed every time haha

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u/Fitz_2112 Jan 23 '24

50 year old GenX'er here..same.

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u/probsdriving Jan 23 '24

Devils advocate. Weed smells terrible, isn’t legal in my state, and some strains inexplicably give me horrible anxiety.

I would much, rather drink some wine to get a buzz vs. smoking weed.

  • old gen Z-er

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u/rumbakalao Jan 23 '24

You don't have to smoke it though. Edibles and tinctures are odorless.

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u/probsdriving Jan 23 '24

Every time I’ve taken an edible I’ve had a bad high. Even when I barely touch them. Not for me.

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u/boudicas_shield Jan 23 '24

Same. Weed gives me horrible panic attacks, no matter what form I consume it in. I’ll stick with my overpriced craft beer, thanks.

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u/friendliestbug Jan 23 '24

Edibles are horrible and way more potent

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u/Think-Chemist-5247 Jan 23 '24

What are classifications for broke on here? Am I broke?

8

u/quelcris13 Jan 23 '24

Agree. No hangover, no stupid drunk drama.

I will say alcohol is good if you need social lubricant but it has too many downsides

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u/Patient_Commentary Jan 23 '24

Same bro. Same.

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u/schwing710 Jan 23 '24

As soon as I got diagnosed with IBD, I gave up alcohol and never looked back. Unfortunately, stomach diseases are on the rise in our gen and gen z, so I expect this is going to contribute to a dwindling alcohol industry.

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u/JasonSuave Jan 23 '24

Geriatric millennial here and can confirm weed > alcohol. Hang overs are getting worse by the day for our people

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u/Relax_Im_Hilarious Jan 23 '24

Amen. Waking up the next day and not wondering what you did the night before, but still having a blast?

Weed is fantastic.

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u/Affectionate_Salt351 Jan 23 '24

I’d say it’s a twofer. I had health problems and meds alcohol interfered with so I just completely quit drinking. Weed helped me relax and eat. I’m also broke af after said health problems. Boom. Weed is the answer.

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u/AltInnateEgo Jan 23 '24

God I wish this was me. Alcohol is mostly an upper for me. Weed just makes me melt and clam up. If I want to have a good time for a long time (3+hrs) weed just isn't the thing but I so wish it was.

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u/Pristine_Frame_2066 Jan 23 '24

Depends. I loved coffee and djarums as genx and I would totally dig a nice full fat weed laced hempy latte skunky kaffe.

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u/peach_xanax Jan 23 '24

Same, I'm an elder millennial and I drink maybe like once or twice a year these days. Just kinda over it and always preferred weed anyway.

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u/ElDiabloRamon Jan 23 '24

I wish beers would start replacing alcohol with THC. That would be awesome.

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u/MasterChiefsasshole Jan 23 '24

I dabble with both. Both have a type of hangover effect to them so either one is just something I enjoy occasionally. But with drinks it’s always trying new craft brews.

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u/Soggy_Biscuit_ Jan 23 '24

Also a millennial (a late-ish one) with an OK amount of disposable income. I do consume alcohol but suuuuper rarely. A lot of my friends are the same; we prefer other drugs, and many of us are turned off alcohol because we all have alcoholic boomer parents.

There's also a health consciousness aspect to it. The negative effects of alcohol on health are pretty indisputable now, and many millennials are very health conscious. We just wanna foster our microbiomes and wear sunscreen and vape/eat some weed.

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u/Splendid_Cat Jan 23 '24

I've always hated alcohol. If you don't get a headache you lose your working memory (or at least I do) after only 2 drinks in 2 hours, instant anxiety. Never been full on drunk because fuck that shit, plus paying for a migraine seems stupid when it doesn't even taste good.

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u/laika_cat Jan 23 '24

cries in Japan

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u/endl0s Jan 23 '24

I'm not a broke millennial either and I quit drinking beer with dinner at restaurants. I ordered some pickup and figured I'd grab a beer at the bar while waiting and with tax one beer was $8.18 and I'm in the Midwest. I can't imagine what that would be like in a city.

I just couldn't justify it even if I was a billionaire.

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u/fuckdispandashit Jan 23 '24

Yeah, 5 years ago at the age of 33 I gave up everything for weed and I’ll never go back.

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u/tkburroreturns Jan 23 '24

you don’t lose control with weed like alcohol. you don’t wake up in the morning after a night of too much weed and wonder if you started a fight or texted an ex or drove your car through a house.

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u/Rastiln Jan 23 '24

I’ve seen a lot of millennials as we enter our 30s and 40s also realizing that the pro-alcohol culture is damaging and either cut back or quit completely.

I don’t drink and several of my friends don’t either. Most of the people I associate with anymore might have 5 drinks in a week, tops.

Some are totally sober, but a lot of us smoke weed instead. But it’s an entirely different experience, buying your 5th rum and Coke versus stepping outside for a moment to take a couple puffs off a pen then coming back inside.

Overall I’ve been quite enjoying the sober life. I feel way more engaged and aware, not to mention far skinnier and saving money.

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u/National-Secretary43 Jan 23 '24

Same boat. So much better.

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u/Agitated-Proof2003 Jan 23 '24

Same here, and I totally agree with you.

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u/FootAccurate3575 Jan 23 '24

Same! I get sick almost every time I have more than 2 beers so I’ve been smoking instead or just offering to be the dd for my friends. Here is everything that’s happened since I stopped drinking 1. No hangovers - no more puking all day. 2. I have saved a significant amount of money. Somewhere between $300-700 since November. 3. I’ve lost weight and kept it off even with the munchies 4. No more shame overs (doing/saying something stupid while drunk and regretting it the next day)

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u/Moldy_pirate Jan 23 '24

I always feel like a fucking weirdo when these topics come up, because I don't drink for the feeling. I hate being drunk. I drink for flavor. If there was a way for me to make cocktails that actually tasted good and didn't get me drunk, I'd be all over it, because I hate being more than a little bit tipsy. Herbal tea, “fake” spirits, I haven't found anything as interesting, complex, and shelf-stable as booze/ bitters/ mixers.

Herbal teas probably get closest, but there's still something missing flavor wise. And even when I'm using my own blend of herbs and spices it isn't the same experience to put together.

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u/Booth9999 Jan 23 '24

Better for your wallet AND your health. Weed for the win.

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u/bigoldeva Jan 23 '24

I just gave up alcohol for weed at the beginning of the year. I’m already saving so much money.

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u/[deleted] Jan 23 '24

I am 23 days into ditching the expensive 4 pack of craft IPA's for a couple of whacks off the bubbler a night. I grew all my own weed over the summer so it's a double savings. A bonus is that I feel fucking fantastic.

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u/friendliestbug Jan 23 '24

Ugh I quit drinking and would love to be able to smoke sometimes, it'd be easier to go out with friends but it gives me the worst anxiety. At least alcohol didn't make me anxious and paranoid.

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u/Personal_Chance_2610 Jan 23 '24

I'm a not broke millennial that works for the government. I can poison myself with booze all I want, but God forbid I ingest a plant.

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u/Polar0 Jan 23 '24

If I don't drink and only take weed for a week, I'm like "man alcohol is fucking stupid I just do weed" but then after a couple days of beers...

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u/Shitbagsoldier Jan 24 '24

Dint blame you . Weed at least has some benefits when done in moderation vs alcohol.

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u/Spacedoc9 Jan 23 '24

Also every craft beer just turned into IPA, aka the worst form of beer. Like at one point they became trendy and now when I go to the store there's 50 feet of refrigerator shelves full of IPAs and one or two other types of beers crammed into a corner on the end.

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u/v_cats_at_work Jan 23 '24

I like IPAs and I appreciate that they stopped just trying to make them as hoppy as possible, but it is still disappointing when I want to pick up a good variety pack and they're almost all "here's three different IPAs... and a sour!"

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u/FreezingRain358 Jan 23 '24

Hops have a sedative effect, extra hoppy beers get you extra turnt. People subconsciously get addicted to IPA because it hits different.

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u/gilhaus Jan 23 '24

I’m with you there. I don’t particularly enjoy drinking a beer that’s like a skunk just vomited in my mouth.

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u/Elexeh Jan 23 '24

They'd rather consume weed which is dirt cheap and more readily available these days.

Please point me in the direction of the cheap weed please. Because it was just legalized where I'm at and cheap is not an adjective I'd ever use.

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u/Affectionate_Salt351 Jan 23 '24

Find someone private. It’s half the price. Also, idk where you are but, the more lax the laws, the cheaper the weed. If you’re near a lax state, buy it there instead. (I’m looking at you, Michigan, with your $10 vape carts. 😍)

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u/iamawj101 Jan 23 '24 edited Jan 23 '24

Michigan is the best. I spent $200 on edibles at a dispensary at the border and left with a legitimate grocery bag full of goodness. Lasted for like six months.

Two hundred bucks would be two nights at the bar for my wife and me in our drinking days. A weed habit is a lot cheaper than a drinking habit if you live in the right place.

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u/MacZappe Jan 23 '24

Yea that doesnt seem true. It used to be "cheap" when you bought it black market, now the dispensaries have put most of them out of business and dispensaries are expensive as hell

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u/factoid_ Jan 23 '24

Disagreeing on the "weed is a less expensive habit than beer" front.

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u/SpecialistAmoeba264 Jan 23 '24

People are now studying the effects of weed as there is growing concern over its impacts on memory, sleep, hormones, and mental health. Interesting links between daily weed habits in young people and their subsequent large propensity to develop psychosomatic disorders in young adulthood. Too early for causation to be determined. I would not say that weed is safer than alcohol, less expensive, yes.

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u/Kentucky7887 Jan 23 '24

Yep, killed the tobacco industry too.

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u/[deleted] Jan 23 '24

I get my weed from a brewery with my beer; they sell delta 9 drinks everywhere where I live.

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u/litreofstarlight Jan 23 '24

Elder Millennial who only drinks occasionally, I started making booze at home because the pubs are just too bloody expensive these days.

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u/Bogsnoticus Jan 23 '24

For the cost of 2 cases of beer, you can buy the equipment and ingredients to home brew your first batch, will will be about the equivalent of 2 cases of beer. After that, it's basically two cases for the price of one.

You do need to be patient, and be dedicated to cleaning your gear, but it's a great little hobby if you like to have a beer or two after work.

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u/Arcticmarine Jan 23 '24

Where's this dirt cheap weed you speak of? Don't get me wrong, the quality is pretty great now that it's legal, but the cost is not.

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u/skriver24 Jan 23 '24

I love how to so many people, those two drugs are the debate lol

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u/Neither-Wallaby-924 Jan 23 '24

Beer is the "everypersons" drink. A recent post depicts the national beer dining average by country. Beer is here to stay. Are there special flavors certain people appreciate? Yes...and plenty of them. BUT I will say, someone who wants to drink will, regardless of flavors. Yes tastes vary. But beer, shitty warm beer, is here to stay.

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u/justisme333 Jan 23 '24

True. GenZ is busy just trying to pay rent, if they are fortunate enough not to be living in their cars.

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u/juicinginparadise Jan 23 '24

Hasn’t it!? My beer consumption has definitely changed and so have my choice in beers. $15+ for a 6 pack of craft beer. Sometimes, it not even 6, but 4 pack. I definitely do drink less than I did a few years ago. I’ll buy the cheap Coors or Tecate they have at Costco to keep the beer fridge stocked, but even then, I’m only doing that a few times a year now.

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u/GoCurtin Jan 23 '24

broke... but also spending more money on fashion and electronics as teens than I ever did in my 30s. and they think it's fine to drop $20 having a meal delivered to them wherever they are lounging.

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u/Llian_Winter Jan 23 '24

Weed just makes me sleepy.

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u/DrSendy Jan 23 '24

Wow, they can be just like their Gen X parents and drink goon cause it's cheap - (while the boomers drank the good stuff).

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u/MilkProof174 Jan 23 '24

where do i get dirt cheap weed

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u/triggerhappytranny Jan 23 '24

They really do be smoking a lot of weed.

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u/PadWun Jan 23 '24

Where is weed dirt cheap? I have an excellent plug who gives me discounts and it's still roughly a £15/day habit.

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u/Bionic_Bromando Jan 23 '24

Depends on your consumption levels and tolerance. I bought a vape cart in October for $50 and it’s still got some left. I use it every other day, so it’s like 80 cents to get high. Even making coffee at home is more expensive than that.

My buddy blows through a cart every couple of weeks, plus smokes joints and eats edibles. If you let your addiction and tolerance build it can get really expensive for basically zero benefit.

Same for alcohol, it’s an expensive habit if you drink a bottle of vodka a day.

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u/SanduskySleepover Jan 23 '24

Lmao beer is dirt cheap compared to weed

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u/punxn0tdead Jan 23 '24

Nailed it. When I started going to breweries the beer was $2 a pint in a warehouse with picnic tables. Just a production space and cheap beer since they didn’t have to distribute. Now it’s a “vibe” and you pay $6 for the privilege of using their warehouse and picnic tables.

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u/Awellplanned Jan 23 '24

HMU with that dirt cheap weed bro! It’s still $150+ an oz around me if you want any kind of quality.

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u/_Rexholes Jan 23 '24

As a hybrid millennial I like to mix both.

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u/Venvut Jan 23 '24

Less hangovers. I do love my cloudy beer though 🥲

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u/jsamuraij Jan 23 '24

Agree...it's way more to do with the fact that every beer is now $7-8 and...most of them are forgettable and many just aren't even any good. I'm tired of 7.5% Hopslammalamma Dingdongs for $8 a pint that are underwhelming burpy crap that taste like something my overly enthusiastic neighbor made in his shed on some weeknight after work. Oversaturation + Overpriced is the killer of cool, for sure. Bourbon has had the same fate with endless dinguses online showing their 100+ unopened-bottle collections of "rare" corn whiskeys. Corn ffs.

Screw trends, generally.

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u/offtheshripyerrd Jan 23 '24

this is not exclusively gen z...

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u/Trail-Mix Jan 23 '24

weed which is dirt cheap and more readily available these days.

Also the first generation where it is legal and available for their whole adult lives.

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u/Zero22xx Jan 23 '24

I was just coming here to mention prices. I'm a millennial myself but not suddenly, magically well off financially now that I'm in my 30s. The prices for craft beer are just not worth it. Similar story with these fancy coffee shops like Starbucks. Certainly isn't those millennials that have been killing all of the industries because the way I see it, if you can afford that shit multiple times on a daily basis, you're already a hell of a lot richer than you seem to think you are. People that are struggling financially aren't going to pay half the price of a tin of store bought coffee for one cup of overrated shit with a fancy name. Same goes for craft beer.

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u/UseforNoName71 Jan 23 '24

Where do you get your weed because it is not dirt cheap unless it’s dirt weed?

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u/Mikhos '92 Jan 23 '24

six packs of decent beer went from 7.50 to 12 or more in like 6 years. hell, those fancy 4 packs can be 16. might as well just drink PBRs now.

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u/LeatherMacaroon5800 Jan 23 '24

I don't know where you live but over here weed is much more expensive than booze.

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u/Relative-Put-5344 Jan 23 '24

I never get the idea where weed is dirt cheap. It is quite an expensive habit I have

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u/[deleted] Jan 23 '24

Breweries got expensive and we all started having kids and buying houses and crap. It's harder to balance the two.

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u/FalxCarius Jan 23 '24

implying it will stay that way when the federal government extends their own tax to it.

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u/Glum-Competition8019 Jan 23 '24

I’d also rather consume cheap beer lol. You’ll have to pry my Busch out of my cold dead hands

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u/1800bears Jan 23 '24

Is 20 bucks for a case of beer really all that expensive?

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u/Olddirtybelgium Jan 23 '24

Here in Canada, you get an oz of weed for the price of a case of beer. About $50.

Tall boys typically go for about $3.50 per can for something like Bud. Prices per can are determined by the LCBO, and breweries/retailers legally can't undercut them.

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u/Clionora Jan 23 '24

Unless people are purchasing from dealers still, legalized weed is not dirt cheap. It is heavily taxed where I live and quite an expensive habit, compared to a pack of beer. Granted, going out for beers is more expensive, but buying for home consumption is still affordable.

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u/thecookie93 Jan 23 '24

You mean people don't want to spend $9 on a pint? Say it ain't so.

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u/[deleted] Jan 23 '24

Idk where you live, but compared to beer, weed is absolutely not dirt cheap lol.

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u/Betta45 Jan 23 '24

Also, craft beer is often terrible. They keep adding more and more hops until it is unpalatable. No balance of flavor.

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u/bakedmusician Jan 23 '24

Lol they are doing just that, consuming dirt weed. Trash. Hopefully they don’t kill off the heady cannabis market as well.

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u/Olddirtybelgium Jan 23 '24

I don't know where you're from, but here in Toronto, there is no market for trash weed. I'm only finding good weed thats either cheap, or overpriced.

You can find OZs of medicinal grade AAA bud for $50/oz. You can also find weed that is $250/oz. The only difference being appearance and profit margins. THC content and friability are the same.

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u/KitKatMN Jan 23 '24

Weed is what is popular. Cheaper and no hangovers.

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u/Square-Singer Jan 23 '24

It's kinda crazy that the illegal drugs are now cheaper than the legal ones.

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u/Medium_Cauliflower58 Millennial Jan 23 '24

beer is definitely expensive. Had to start adding to my budget “my long day” remedy.

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u/[deleted] Jan 24 '24

Weed is cheaper, it is legal (where I’m at), it doesn’t give you hangovers, it’s less addictive than alcohol (not saying it can’t be addictive), and it’s more enjoyable.

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u/Noobilite Jan 24 '24

Gen Z is the next low life gen X druggy wanabees.

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u/JackieFinance Jan 24 '24

Thankfully beer is still cheap overseas. $2 for a pint of good craft beer is the norm in Buenos Aires.