For some people weed might not be it, but for me it is. A combination of coffee and a strong sativa edible for an evening outing satisfies my escapist tendencies and is quite enjoyable for me.
When I cut back on my drinking I tried the weed substitute (I live where where its legal, and could experiment with strains) but never found anything that was "fun". Interesting, yes, but not a substitute. I know plenty of folks who vastly prefer it to alcohol, though, which I think is great.
One thing I've found with weed is that it's not really fun on its own, it just changes how you perceive what you're already doing. So rather than sit at a bar with friends I find myself choosing to see live music, or to play music, build something, or do some other creative endeavor.
It's definitely not a one to one replacement for alcohol, as I don't find myself doing exactly the same things as I would if I went out drinking, but what I do when I get high generally feels more fulfilling.
