The growth of craft beer sales in Oregon sharply dropped off in 2016 — about the time that recreation marijuana became legal in that state.

The head of a top craft brewery says that is no coincidence.  From the Bend Bulletin:

“I believe cannabis has affected sales,” said Deschutes Brewery CEO Michael LaLonde. “It’s so potent today. Someone might go and have a beer and do some edibles, and the combination of those two things means they don’t consume as much alcohol.”

That very well could be.  But also pointed out in the same article, craft beer sales growth nationwide has fallen each year since 2014.  These are places that do not have legal outlets for cannabis.  So the slowdown is everywhere.  Why?

Perhaps the answer lies in the pure number of beer choices.  The number of craft breweries in the U.S. continues to grow and the volume of their product is up, too.  The market is leveling off, which means meteoric growth is no longer an automatic.  And the home of Deschutes — Bend, OR — has the highest brewery per capita of anywhere in the nation.  Maybe that has something to do with sales declines?

Sure, marijuana is becoming a competitor.  But I would be more worried about making my beer stand out and be better than the rest.  That’s the one thing you still control.  — [eric]