Nobody told them to stop smoking. Nobody handed them a pamphlet, scheduled a check-in with their doctor, or enrolled them in a wellness program. Researchers simply gave cannabis consumers access to an infused beverage — and watched what happened.
What happened was significant.
A new longitudinal behavioral study tracking cannabis consumers found that once participants had a non-inhalation alternative available in their daily routine, their rate of smoking cannabis dropped by nearly a quarter over two weeks. On its own. Voluntarily. Without a single nudge.
That's the kind of finding that doesn't just matter to researchers. It matters to anyone who's ever reached for a joint out of habit, felt the friction of smoking in a social setting, or quietly wondered whether there's a better way to enjoy cannabis.
At 23rd State, we've been saying since day one that infused beverages represent something more than just another product format. This research helps explain why.
The Study: Who These Consumers Were
Before diving into the results, it's worth understanding who was actually in this study — because the data is most meaningful when you know the baseline.
At enrollment, participants were asked about their primary cannabis consumption methods. The picture that emerged was clear: the majority of cannabis consumers smoke or inhale. When researchers grouped flower, vape cartridges, and concentrates under a single inhalation umbrella, 67.3% of cannabis-using participants — 1,487 out of 2,209 — identified inhalation as a primary consumption method.
Edibles had the highest standalone category share at 56.9%, but inhalation dominated as a combined format. This is who the cannabis consumer really looks like: someone who, more often than not, is lighting up or hitting a cartridge.
This isn't a niche. This is the norm.
Why They Were Interested in Beverages in the First Place
Here's where the data gets genuinely interesting — and where it speaks directly to the 23rd State consumer.
Participants were asked at enrollment what was driving their interest in cannabis beverages. "Exploring new cannabis products" led at 60.5%. "Prioritizing health" came in at 40.4%. "Drinking less alcohol" followed at 38.9%.
But researchers also found something that deserves its own headline:
27.0% of participants selected "I want something discreet compared to smoking or vaping." Another 23.4% said "I'm trying to smoke less." When researchers grouped these together, 43.7% of all participants — nearly half — enrolled partly because of a desire to reduce inhalation.
To put that in context: the smoke-reduction motivation cluster was roughly the same size as the alcohol-reduction motivation, and larger than "avoid hangovers" (28.1%).
These aren't fringe motivations. These are mainstream reasons that a huge swath of cannabis consumers are already thinking about — lung health, social acceptability, lease restrictions, the physical discomfort of smoke. In participants' own words, the open-text responses told the story vividly: concerns about COPD and asthma, a participant with a vocal cord injury who found beverages as a replacement after being forced to quit smoking, and simple observations like "renter friendly" and "better than smoking as it didn't hurt the lungs."
This is the person who finds 23rd State. They're not anti-cannabis. They're pro-choice — and they're looking for a format that fits their life.
What the Research Actually Found
So what happened once participants had access to a cannabis beverage?
The data showed two statistically significant declines.
First, overall cannabis consumption dropped. The predicted probability of daily cannabis use fell from 30.0% during the baseline period to 19.2% during the product use phase — a 36% relative reduction. And this wasn't a front-loaded effect that faded. Cannabis use rates declined once the beverage was introduced and continued declining throughout the study. Participants didn't just use less on Day 1. They progressively used less as the weeks went on.
Second — and this is the headline — smoking specifically declined. When researchers isolated just the inhalation-based consumption (flower, cartridges, and concentrates), the average daily rate of smoking cannabis fell from 32.4% to 25.0% during the product use phase. That's a 7.4 percentage point drop, representing approximately a 23% relative reduction. Statistically significant. Consistent across the study period.
This matters because smoking remained the dominant competing format throughout the study — on days when participants used other cannabis, flower alone accounted for 42.1% of all selections, and approximately 67% of other cannabis use was inhalation-based. Even as the dominant format, it still declined.
The researchers' framing is precise and worth repeating: this is "harm reduction — not because we're making a health claim about beverages, but because any measurable, voluntary reduction in combustion and inhalation, supported by behavioral data, fits the definition."
What This Doesn't Say — and Why That Matters
Let's be direct about what this research is and isn't.
This is not a clinical trial. It is not a medical claim. The researchers are not saying that cannabis beverages are a smoking cessation tool, or that any specific product is better for your health than another. This is behavioral data from a two-week study, not a longitudinal health outcome study.
What it is: early, statistically significant evidence that when a viable non-inhalation alternative is present in a consumer's daily routine, a meaningful share of them voluntarily reduce how much they smoke — without being told to.
That's a signal. A real one.
At 23rd State, we are not in the business of making health claims. We're in the business of making clean, intentional cannabis beverages with simple ingredients and a cannabinoid profile that actually does something. The format — drinkable, smoke-free, odorless, socially acceptable — speaks for itself. What this research does is confirm that the format's advantages aren't just theoretical. They translate to real behavior change, at scale, without any external pressure.
23rd State Was Built for This Consumer
When we talk about the 23rd State customer, we're not always talking about someone new to cannabis. We're talking about someone who knows what they like, is thoughtful about how they consume, and is looking for a product that fits into their life without friction.
SHAKE, our edible glitter drink enhancer, was designed with the canna-curious person in mind. Three variants — Emerald, Cosmo, and 24k Gold — each delivering 3mg THC and 9mg CBG per serving in a format that adds to any beverage you're already enjoying. No smoke. No smell. No paraphernalia. Just a sparkling addition to whatever you're drinking, whenever you want it.
Blush Crush Infused Bubbly, our 750mL wine-format sparkling beverage with 10mg THC and 10mg CBG per bottle, at 4 servings of 2.5mg THC & CBG per serving brings that same intentionality to the celebratory moment. The format that used to mean a bottle of wine or champagne now means something more interesting.
Our FRESH PRESS line carries a little different philosophy — premium infused beverages with clean ingredients and a cannabinoid profile built for real-world enjoyment. Great taste and a higher dosage at 10mg THC & CBG per serving in a familiar 12 oz can, a shareable entry point for newbies, and a stronger more focused effect when stacked, for those who regularly consume smokable formats.
What connects all of these products is a belief that how you consume cannabis should be something you choose with intention — not just default to out of habit. The research above describes the 43.7% of cannabis consumers who arrived at infused beverages partly because of a desire to reduce inhalation. Those are 23rd State customers. They may not have known they were looking for us yet. But they were.
The Format Is the Feature
One thing the research makes clear is that the benefits of the beverage format aren't abstract. They're explicit, articulated by consumers in their own language, and they're driving real behavior.
"Renter friendly." "Social settings where smoking isn't tolerated." "Better than smoking as it didn't hurt the lungs." These are not marketing lines. These are the reasons real people reached for a beverage instead of a joint.
At 23rd State, we think about these things constantly. That's why SHAKE works the way it does — dissolving into any drink, leaving a fun celebratory vibe, producing no odor, drawing attention in a non-offensive way. That's why Blush Crush Infused Bubbly is a bottle you can open at a dinner table, a rooftop, or a celebration without anyone raising an eyebrow. The format solves real problems for real people, and the data now confirms it.
No combustion. No secondhand smoke. No lingering smell on your clothes. Just cannabis, working the way you want it to, in a form that fits where you actually live your life.
What Comes Next
The researchers are clear that two weeks of behavioral data is a signal, not a verdict. The long-term questions are still open: What happens at 30 days? At 90 days? Does the reduction in inhalation hold over time, accelerate, or reverse? Those are questions worth tracking, and the brands paying attention now will have a positioning advantage when the longitudinal data matures.
For consumers, the practical takeaway is simpler. If you're someone who currently smokes cannabis and has thought — even once — about whether there's a way to get what you love about cannabis without the inhalation, you're in the majority. Nearly half of cannabis beverage consumers in this study showed up with exactly that thought. And what happened when they had access to an alternative? They smoked less.
Not because anyone told them to. Because the option was there, and it worked.
That option exists. It's been here. And if you haven't tried it yet, 23rd State is a pretty good place to start.
Find 23rd State
23rd State products — including SHAKE, FRESH PRESS, and Blush Crush Infused Bubbly — are available across Minnesota. Find us at 23state.com or use our store locator to find a retailer near you.
Whether you're cannabis-curious, an intentional consumer, or someone who's been looking for a reason to put down the cartridge for a while — welcome. This one's for you.
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23rd State does not make medical or health claims about its products. Cannabis products are intended for adults 21 and older. Please consume responsibly.
