Session: Public Health Impacts from the Changing Marijuana Policy Landscape: Implications for Policymakers and Practitioners (Society for Prevention Research 23rd Annual Meeting)

During the past decade, the climate around marijuana use has become increasingly positive and permissive. In fact, more than half the states in the U.S. currently have some form of medical or recreational marijuana policy/law that accommodates use though it remains illegal federally. As this momentum continues, we know little about the impact this shifting marijuana policy environment has had or will have on epidemiology, prevention and treatment of substance use, misuse, and related health outcomes such as crime, HIV, and other risk behaviors. This session shares emerging evidence from three NIDA-funded grants.

Abstract One draws on nine annual waves of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) from 2002-2010 to share results from a state-level prospective investigation of the relationships between passage of state Medical marijuana laws and drug-related outcomes among youth (12-17 years of age) and young adults (18-25 years). Investigators use econometric methods to compare changes in drug-related attitudes and behaviors across populations of young people residing in states with medical marijuana laws, using non-medical marijuana states as a control group. We will augment with original data collection on state medical marijuana laws.

Abstract Two takes advantage of a natural experiment occurring in Long Beach to assess whether changes in the density of store-front dispensaries is related to similar changes in property and violent crimes in local and adjacent areas. During 2012, the Long Beach Police Department engaged in a concerted effort to reduce store-front medical marijuana dispensaries in the city, resulting in an 83% decrease in the numbers of these dispensaries.  The current study examines whether or not this reduction resulted in corresponding changes in levels of crime.

Abstract Three uses 5+ years of population-level data to provide an in-depth investigation of the processes through which school-based and state-level penalties for adolescent substance use behaviors reduce the tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana  use behaviors they target. This study also accounts for community-level exposure to anti- tobacco/drug media campaigns that are designed to also influence adolescent substance use behaviors (i.e., for tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana we will examine current use, excessive use, school use).