Marijuana Moment: Trump Administration Ditches Alcohol Limit Guidance As Marijuana Remains Federally Criminalized

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The Trump administration is backing away from a prior federal recommendation to limit alcohol consumption to specific amounts, even as marijuana remains federally criminalized and more Americans are choosing cannabis for personal health reasons.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released updated dietary guidance on Wednesday, drawing criticism over the reversal of a recommendation that American men should limit alcohol consumption to a maximum of two drinks per day and women should consume no more than one drink per day.

Cannabis isn’t addressed in the guidance.

President Donald Trump doesn’t drink alcohol, but his administration is evidently skeptical about giving Americans specific recommendations about how much of it that Americans should consume. The new federal document also removes prior mentions of alcohol’s role in potentially increasing the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and death.

Trump also doesn’t smoke marijuana, but so far the administration has only taken the incremental—albeit contextually historic—step of directing the completion of a process to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). That would not legalize marijuana, but it would remove certain research restrictions and allow cannabis businesses to take federal tax deductions.

Meanwhile, alcohol is not considered a federally controlled substance at all. It’s subject to regulations, but its use and sale for adults has been normalized—even if many Americans are starting to shift away from drinking and more adults have found an alternative in marijuana.

“Alcohol is a social lubricant that brings people together,” Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Mehmet Oz said at a White House briefing on Wednesday. “In the best-case scenario, I don’t think you should drink alcohol, but it does allow people an an excuse to bond and socialize, and there’s probably nothing healthier than having a good time with friends in a safe way.”

The alcohol industry is cheering the Trump administration’s changes to the guidance.

“Americans deserve a balanced and unbiased approach to recommendations on alcohol consumption and this is exactly what we got today from the new Dietary Guidelines,” Dave Parker, president of the National Association of Wine Retailers, said in a statement released by the White House.

“Moderate consumption has long been the foundation of the proper relationship with alcohol, and we are very pleased to see that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not succumb to the call by extremist anti-alcohol groups to throw the idea of moderate consumption under the bus,” he said.

To be clear, the Trump administration isn’t encouraging people to drink more alcohol. But its new guidance removes specific recommended limitations for daily alcohol consumption that were previously in place.

“Consume less alcohol for better overall health,” the document says. “People who should completely avoid alcohol include pregnant women, people who are recovering from alcohol use disorder or are unable to control the amount they drink, and people taking medications or with medical conditions that can interact with alcohol. For those with a family history of alcoholism, be mindful of alcohol consumption and associated addictive behaviors.”

Reuters reported on Thursday that federal officials under Biden administration had been preparing to issue even stricter alcohol recommendations than what was previously in place by suggesting that both men and women limit their consumption to one drink per day. The Trump administration decided to go in a different direction, however.

Trump’s marijuana rescheduling order, which directs the attorney general to quickly finish the process of moving marijuana to Schedule III, earned him praise from much of the cannabis community, even if there’s broad consensus that the substance should be removed from the CSA entirely and be treated similar to alcohol.

However, the administration hasn’t been consistent on its messaging around marijuana, with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) promoting content linking cananbis use to depression and suicidal thinking and echoing talking points from prohibitionists.

Regardless, Americans are increasingly opting for cannabis over alcohol, which is tied to a substantial amount of deaths annually.

A recent poll found that more U.S. adults set New Year’s resolutions to cut down on alcohol and tobacco, rather than marijuana, for example.

Younger Americans are also increasingly using cannabis-infused beverages as a substitute for alcohol—with one in three millennials and Gen Z workers choosing THC drinks over booze for after-work activities like happy hours.

Another survey released in October found that a majority of Americans believe marijuana represents a “healthier option” than alcohol—and most also expect cannabis to be legal in all 50 states within the next five years.

Smoking marijuana is also associated with “significantly” reduced rates of alcohol consumption, according to a recent federally funded study that involved adults smoking joints in a makeshift bar.

A study published last year found that adults who drink cannabis-infused beverages has found more evidence of a “substitution effect,” with a significant majority of participants reporting reduced alcohol use after incorporating cannabinoid drinks into their routines.

Another survey released last year also showed that four in five adults who drink cannabis-infused beverages say they’ve reduced their alcohol intake—and more than a fifth have quit drinking alcohol altogether.

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