Written by the Rose Mary Jane team. Reviewed by our Cannabis Guides. Last updated 9 October 2026.
Quick answer: Dry January is a month off alcohol, started in 2013 by UK charity Alcohol Change UK. Dry January THC drinks are one option some adults hold instead, and they are not an approved substitute for anything. Maine caps a licensed serving at 10 mg THC. For a party, 2 mg to 5 mg is plenty.
Key takeaways:
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Alcohol Change UK has run Dry January since 2013, when 4,000 people signed up.
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CivicScience found 19 percent of Americans taking part by 26 January 2026.
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A Maine THC drink serving is capped at 10 mg. Start at 2 mg to 5 mg.
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THC is an intoxicant. You still cannot drive, and tolerance builds fast.
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Cannabis is not an approved treatment for alcohol use. Ask a healthcare provider.
What is Dry January, and who runs it?
Dry January is a campaign that asks adults to go a full month without alcohol, run by the UK charity Alcohol Change UK. The charity puts the first organized year at 2013, with 4,000 people signed up.
Emily Robinson stopped drinking in January 2011 to make half marathon training easier. She did it again in January 2012, after joining the charity, and that became the campaign. Registration is free, and most people who do a dry month never register.
How many Americans actually do it?
Roughly one in five, by the best public tracking available. CivicScience put participation at 19 percent of Americans as of 26 January 2026, a point above 2025.
The same tracker found something less flattering. The share who did not finish nearly doubled, from 12 percent in 2025 to 20 percent in 2026. Starting is easy. Week three is not.
Drinking is drifting down regardless. Gallup put the share of US adults who drink alcohol at 54 percent in 2025, its lowest in nearly 90 years of asking.
Are THC drinks a Dry January alternative?
They are an alternative to holding a beer. They are not an alternative to being sober, and nothing about them is approved for that. A THC drink is a beverage with a measured dose of cannabis extract blended into it, and that dose is an intoxicant.
So be honest about the trade. You are swapping one intoxicant for another, and whether that suits your January depends on why you stopped drinking.
If you are cutting down because drinking has become a problem, a healthcare provider is the right person to talk to, not a dispensary. We mean that plainly, and we say it at the counter too.
The interest is real. Morning Consult found 64 percent of Dry January participants interested in trying a THC beverage, 21 points above drinkers over 21 generally. LeafLink tracked national cannabis beverage sales rising from December to January three cycles running: up 24.8 percent into 2023, 7.4 percent into 2024 and 5.4 percent into 2025. The bump is real, and it is shrinking as the drinks go year-round.
How does the month usually go, week by week?
Most people hit the same four stages, roughly in order. This is what our Guides hear, not a clinical schedule.
| Week | What people commonly find | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | The first Friday is hard. Sleep feels off | Opening a can nightly out of habit |
| Week 2 | Someone puts a beer in your hand | Dosing up because 2 mg "did nothing" in a loud room |
| Week 3 | Novelty wears off. The money saved shows | Tolerance. Two nightly weeks change what 5 mg feels like |
| Week 4 | The finish is close. February planning starts | Deciding February means both. Pick one, not two |
Week 3 is where that 20 percent non-completion figure lives.
How much THC should you take in a social setting?
Start at 2 mg to 5 mg, sip it across an hour, and stack nothing on top. That is the whole guide. Almost every bad night with a THC drink skips one of those three parts.
| Serving | Who it suits | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| 2 mg | A first try, or a night you want to stay sharp | Light. Easy to read as nothing |
| 5 mg | Occasional use, a long evening out | Noticeable. Enough to hold a room |
| 10 mg | Regular users only. Maine's per-serving cap | A full dose. Not a social start |
Our piece on how long THC drinks take to kick in covers why that window moves so much. Maine labels must warn that effects may not be felt for up to 4 hours.
Do not stack means three things. No alcohol alongside it, which our comparison of THC drinks and alcohol gets into. No gummy on top, and the Maine edible dosage chart lines the milligrams up. No second can before the first lands.
If someone overdoes it, water and a quiet room go a long way. Our guide for when you are too high covers the rest.
What do you order when everyone else is drinking?
Bring the drink you want, because most Portland bars will not have one. Public consumption is a civil violation in Maine anyway, so a bar is the wrong venue twice over.
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A single-serve can, 2 mg to 5 mg. It opens like any seltzer. Nobody asks.
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A mocktail you build yourself. Our THC mocktail recipes for Dry January exist for this, and ice plus a lime wedge ends the questions.
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A plain mixer for later. One infused drink, then soda water, is a plan. Two is not.
Say the milligrams out loud if you pour for anyone. A guest who never saw the label cannot read it.
The downsides, stated straight
Four of them, and none are footnotes.
Tolerance builds, and fast
Two or three nightly weeks change what a 5 mg can feels like. The fix is time off, not a bigger can. Our guide to taking a tolerance break covers how long that takes.
It is still intoxication
A 5 mg drink is a real dose. You will be slower, and your judgment about your own state goes first. Swapping intoxicants does not change that.
You still cannot drive
Maine handles cannabis impairment under OUI law 29-A section 2411. There is no per se THC blood limit, so the officer's judgment decides. Plan a ride before you open anything.
It does not suit everyone
Some people find THC drinks leave them anxious rather than relaxed. Research on dose and anxiety is early and mixed, so we will not pretend otherwise. A dry month is a bad time to retest it.
What January looks like at our St John Street counter
January is our busiest beverage month, and the questions repeat by the second week. Come to 327 St John St in Portland with a valid, unexpired government photo ID. We are open daily, 8:30am to 10pm, and the number is 207-805-1644.
Ask a Cannabis Guide for the lowest-dose cans in stock. That beats a brand name, because beverage stock turns fast.
Our menu sorts by how you want to feel, so Social and Unwind are the sections to browse. Check the online menu and order ahead for pickup, or read our fuller guide to choosing THC drinks in Portland. The Portland store page has parking and directions. We hold an adult-use license only, so we cannot accept a medical certification.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dry January with THC drinks still Dry January?
Only by the narrow definition. Alcohol Change UK's challenge is a month without alcohol, so a THC seltzer does not break the rule as written. It does not leave you sober either. People who want a month clear of every intoxicant are doing something different, and that version is harder.
How many mg of THC should a first-timer have at a party?
Two to five milligrams, finished over an hour, with nothing stacked on top. A 2 mg can is easy to misjudge as nothing, which is how people open a second one too early. Maine labels warn that effects may not be felt for up to 4 hours. Read the can first.
Will a THC drink help me stop drinking?
That is not a claim we make, and no licensed Maine store may make it either. Cannabis is not an approved treatment for alcohol use of any kind. If drinking has become a problem, a healthcare provider who knows your history is the right person to talk to.
Can I drink a THC seltzer at a bar on Congress Street?
No. Public consumption of cannabis in any form is a civil violation in Maine, with a fine of up to 100 dollars under 28-B section 1501(2). Drinks count, and so do sidewalks, parks and bar patios. No licensed consumption lounges operate here, since LD 1365 was rejected in April 2026.
Does a month off alcohol reset my THC tolerance?
No. The two tolerances are separate, and a dry month spent drinking THC seltzers builds the cannabis one rather than resetting it. Daily use for a few weeks is usually enough to change what a 5 mg can feels like. The fix is time off cannabis, not a bigger can.
Before you swap anything
A dry month is a decision about alcohol. Reaching for a THC drink is a second, separate decision that deserves the same honesty. Some people hold a 2 mg can at four parties and never think about it again. Others find nightly seltzers built an unplanned habit.
If you want the low-dose end of the shelf, the current Rose Mary Jane menu shows what is in stock today, and a Guide on St John Street will talk you through it.