Cannabis vs. Wine 

Cannabis is the most popular illicit substance in the world; the consumption bans imposed for its recreational use had various justifications but none to include consumption in an advanced risk class, given that there are relatively few serious negative physical or social effects that can be associated with recreational consumption. The therapeutic use of cannabis also remains extremely controversial, although beneficial therapeutic applications and recommended uses have been known for thousands of years. In recent years we have seen an increase in advertising around the use of medical cannabis as a natural solution or as a provider of therapeutic, medical benefits for various diseases. 

On the other hand, alcohol has been universally accepted as a sociable and acceptable drug, although excessive and constant consumption can lead to alcoholism, a condition with profoundly negative effects on both physical and mental health. Of course, alcoholism was not always a problem. In the 16th century, when alcohol was used mainly for medicinal purposes, it actually had beneficial effects, however, in the middle of the 18th century, alcoholism began to increase, because of the high quantities with low quality  was produced and consumed, especially cheap alcoholic beverages. Alcohol currently remains a controversial substance, but it is legal worldwide.

In the collective perception, wine is not assimilated in the category of alcohol, because it is considered by consumers a noble, social drink, which has multiple positive and beneficial effects on health, consumed in moderate quantities. 

Even if all current statistics make a direct link between declining alcohol consumption and increasing marijuana use, we would expect the impact of legalizing cannabis cultivation and its recreational use not to affect vine cultivation too much, and wine consumption. 

But it seems that things are upside down, the best example is the US, which has legalized in some states both the cultivation and recreational consumption of marijuana and where there is a real fight between cannabis growers and vines. 

Most cannabis plantations are located in regions known for growing vines and for making spectacular wines. 

In Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino, internationally recognized for their wines, the landscape is beginning to change, if until now it was dominated by vineyards, at this time cannabis plantations appeared, often interspersed between those of the vine.  

Both vines and cannabis meet the ideal growing conditions in the temperate climate of the coastal area.

Once the new plantations were established, discussions began between the producers. Vine growers are worried about the amount of water used to irrigate cannabis plants, they are worried about the smell of these plantations that could be found in the wines they produce, and the migration of workers who have worked seasonally in the vineyards and in the winery so far, to the cannabis farms where they have annual contracts, they end up seriously affecting the harvesting and processing of grapes. On the other hand, cannabis growers have real problems due to fertilizers and phytosanitary treatments applied to vine crops, which affect both the intake of substances from their plants and the quality of buds intended for consumption.  

In addition to all the discussions between the producers, it remains to analyze several aspects that in the coming years will favor the development directions in the areas where both plantations are legal. 

Cannabis plantations do not require phytosanitary treatments or intensive fertilizer treatment of the soil, so in the global context of the transition to organic farming, cannabis cultivation could be favored.

The “Millennials” generation does not consume as much wine in quantity as previous generations, but is moving towards marijuana use as a recreational use, which requires additional work for wine producers in promoting the benefits of wine consumption  but also in the transition to a less exclusive and more socially oriented wine positioning strategy. 

The legalization of recreational consumption has attracted a large number of tourists to California, however Ryan Klobas, CEO of Napa County Farm argues that on this basis a regional brand cannot grow and believes that the name Napa should be protected because “Napa is a internationally recognized brand and we would not want to harm it ” 

Another aspect that cannot be neglected is the higher net financial profit in the case of cannabis cultivation and the extremely low cost for its promotion, however the sale and recreational consumption of marijuana it can only be done locally or in the regions and countries where it is legalized, while medical cannabis is beginning to be available in many states. The financial analysis that wine producers are doing at the moment is the replanting of some hectares with cannabis to optimize the profit by restricting the areas with vines. 

Equity in the given situation could exist if clear cannabis cultivation legislation were introduced with clearly established production and sales rules for recreational cannabis, insistently demanded in the USA by vine growers. 

There are discussions around the world about the general impact that the legalization of cannabis has on the world, discussions that revolve around the beneficial effects on health, with applicability for various diseases. However, so far only a few Western nations have introduced policies or programs that allow legal access to medical cannabis, and recreational cannabis is still banned in most countries.