International Journal of Drug Policy最新文献

{"title":"Evaluating the association between cannabis decriminalization and legalization and cannabis arrests and related disparities: A Systematic review","authors":"Stephen D.S. McCarthy ,&nbsp;Adrienne Gaudreault ,&nbsp;Jennifer Xiao ,&nbsp;Benedikt Fischer ,&nbsp;Wayne Hall ,&nbsp;Kathryn Lee ,&nbsp;Rachel Kang ,&nbsp;Garry Aslanyan ,&nbsp;Manish M. Sood ,&nbsp;Daniel T. Myran","doi":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104705","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104705","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>While a key goal of liberalizing cannabis policy is to reduce harms related to criminal justice involvement, the degree to which this occurs and how it varies by policy format is uncertain. We completed a systematic review of changes in cannabis offences overall and across subgroups after cannabis policy liberalization.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A search of 7 databases was conducted for studies examining changes in cannabis offences, including arrests, charges, convictions, and referrals, before and after cannabis policy changes. Four types of cannabis policy change were considered: medical legalization, non-medical decriminalization, non-medical legalization, and non-medical commercialization. Changes for each policy change were examined overall and across race/ethnicity, youth (&lt;18) vs adult (18 or 21+), and sex. Evidence was analyzed by Synthesis without Meta-analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>From 2,806 studies, 17 studies set in North America were included (15 USA, 2 Canada). In regions where non-medical cannabis was criminalized, 0 % of studies (0/4) showed a significant reduction in cannabis offences after medical legalization, 100 % of studies (7/7) showed significant reductions after decriminalization, and 75 % of studies (6/8) showed significant reductions after non-medical legalization with reductions in offences ranging from 13.5 % to 78.0 % for decriminalization and 33 % to 87 % for legalization. In jurisdictions that had decriminalized cannabis use, non-medical legalization was associated with further significant reductions in cannabis offences in 67 % of studies (2/3), with reductions in offences ranging from 35 % to 84.2 %. There were insufficient studies on the effects of expanded non-medical commercial access (<em>n</em> = 2). Decriminalization was associated with a significant reduction in cannabis offences in all studies in youth (5/5) and 85 % of studies in adults (6/7). However, legalization was associated with significant reductions in youth offences in 33 % (1/3) of studies compared to 100 % (4/4) of studies in adults. Despite absolute reductions in cannabis offences after decriminalization and legalization across racial and ethnic groups, changes in relative disparities between groups were variable, increasing in some cases while decreasing in others.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Non-medical cannabis decriminalization and legalization are both associated with reductions in cannabis offences. Reductions in cannabis offences were consistently observed after legalization in adults but were not consistently observed in youth. Persistent socio-ethnic disparities in cannabis offences emphasize the need for additional mitigation strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48364,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Drug Policy","volume":"137 ","pages":"Article 104705"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143366538","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mapping the risk environment for peers with lived-living experience working in the alcohol and other drugs sector in Queensland","authors":"Timothy Piatkowski ,&nbsp;Emma Kill ,&nbsp;Cameron Duff ,&nbsp;Kailas Jenkins ,&nbsp;Kyra Hamilton","doi":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104725","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104725","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Peer workers in the Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) sector play a vital role in harm reduction for people who use drugs (PWUDs); however, their experiences are often shaped by complex macro- and micro-risk environments. This study explores these environments and their implications for peer workers, particularly concerning stigma, legal barriers, and organisational culture.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 peers with lived-living experience of illicit drug use. Purposive sampling was employed, leveraging established peer networks and community organisations. Interviews (range = 42–90 mins) were conducted via Microsoft Teams, transcribed, and analysed. The iterative coding process involved deductive codes based on predetermined topics and inductive codes derived from identified themes.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Participants identified key systemic challenges, including peer stigma, limited career prospects, and the complexities of navigating legal frameworks that criminalise drug use, thereby undermining the efficacy of peer work. The interplay between regulatory frameworks and societal attitudes creates barriers to employment, which disproportionately affects people with drug-related offenses. The significance of collective connection as a source of safety and support was also highlighted, particularly through peer supervision, which fosters enabling environments that promote wellbeing.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>Findings highlight the need for advocacy towards legal reform and the creation of inclusive organisational cultures. Recognising and valuing the LLE of peer workers is essential for enhancing harm reduction initiatives and promoting the wellbeing of PWUDs. Addressing these macro- and micro-risk factors, including the importance of peer supervision, can improve peer workers' efficacy in providing meaningful support within their communities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48364,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Drug Policy","volume":"137 ","pages":"Article 104725"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143092965","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Consent and violence amongst men in the context of sexualised drug use: A systematic scoping review","authors":"Dean J. Connolly ,&nbsp;Santino Coduri-Fulford ,&nbsp;Katherine Macdonald ,&nbsp;Gail Gilchrist ,&nbsp;Luke Muschialli","doi":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104706","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104706","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sexualised drug use (SDU) is a highly prevalent phenomenon of increasing public health significance in communities of men who have sex with men (MSM). This prospectively registered PRISMA-ScR-adherent systematic scoping review examines the current state of knowledge surrounding violence amongst MSM in the context of SDU. A broad search was conducted across four databases, with no restrictions. Studies citing or cited by all database-identified records retained for full-text review were retrieved and screened. Three journals were hand-searched across the past five years, and three searches were conducted on Google Scholar. In addition, 13 key opinion leaders were contacted via email to request any additional published or unpublished data. The twenty-eight studies included in the final synthesis reported mostly qualitative data from geographically diverse non-representative samples, predominantly relating to sexual violence with other typologies seldom investigated or reported. Although quantitative data were limited, sexual violence appeared common in this context and was directly associated with impaired mental health and suicidality. Some participants reported first- or second-hand accounts of non-consensual administration of incapacitating doses of GHB/GBL to men who were subsequently raped. This was frequently perpetrated by men whose age, status, or financial privilege afforded them power over their victims. While reports from some participants suggested context-specific blurring of the lines of consent, a few quotes demonstrated a dearth of knowledge surrounding the centrality of consent in lawful sex. Given the historical denigration of MSM, any efforts to further investigate or address this issue must be community-led.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48364,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Drug Policy","volume":"136 ","pages":"Article 104706"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143030120","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Towards a dynamic processual model of psychedelic microdosing","authors":"Jason Hughes ,&nbsp;Joshua Stuart-Bennett ,&nbsp;Michael Dunning ,&nbsp;Hannah Farrimond","doi":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104691","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104691","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Existing research highlights an increase in psychedelic microdosing, particularly for therapeutic purposes and as a means for self-enhancement. However, we know little about the different routes into and out of microdosing, particularly by those who do not consume other illicit substances, and of the processes involved in the development, maintenance, and cessation of practices.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Drawing upon a trans-national interview-based study of 23 participants actively microdosing (<em>n</em> = 19), about to start (<em>n</em> = 3), or who were past users (<em>n</em> = 1), we develop a phased-based analysis of different user pathways.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>We identify key phases as: ‘Awareness/Discovery’, where participants became aware of microdosing; ‘Research/Reframing’, where they researched access, techniques, and undertook ‘stigma work’ to reframe risks; ‘Access/Supply’ where they sought reliable and safe sources of psychedelics and cultivated attitudes/practices/substances for longer-term use; ‘Experimentation/Differentiation’ where participants altered dosing levels/schedules and, inter-relatedly, differentiated ‘effects’ and ‘benefits’; ‘Independence/Incorporation’ where they stabilised practices into patterns ‘right for them’; and ‘Expansion/Advocacy’ where microdosing was linked to greater inter- and intrapersonal ‘expansiveness’.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Pathways in and out of microdosing are multilinear and differentiated. Nonetheless, a dynamic processual approach helps highlight the overall structure of changes involved which, we find, can entail a shift towards greater temporal and relational ‘expansiveness’, greater independence, and more incorporated practices. These shifts necessitated considerable ‘work’ variously to negate stigma, maintain supply, determine dose, document shifts, and other kinds of material–symbolic ‘investment’. We also show the significance of processual/phased-based models beyond psychedelics to better understand drug-use journeys and temporalities which confound conventional dependency-focused paradigms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48364,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Drug Policy","volume":"136 ","pages":"Article 104691"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142878106","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cigarette butts to estimate the illicit cigarette consumption proportion in a major Brazilian city","authors":"Victor Vasques Ribeiro ,&nbsp;André Salem Szklo ,&nbsp;Graziele Grilo ,&nbsp;Kevin Welding ,&nbsp;Mariana Pinho ,&nbsp;Mônica Andreis ,&nbsp;Ítalo Braga Castro","doi":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104692","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104692","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Illicit cigarette consumption (ICC) results in cheaper cigarettes and lost tax revenue. Although several methods estimate the ICC proportion, the one based on cigarette butt (CB), the most littered item worldwide, is less common. This study aimed at estimating the ICC proportion of Guarujá, a major Brazilian city, based on littered CBs.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>CBs were collected along 23,694 m² of highly urbanized walkways between March and April 2023. CBs licit status was assessed based on the littered brands presence in the list of approved brands in the national market by the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency.</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>Of the 4231 collected CBs, 3521 had identifiable brand markings (81.5 %). In total, 26 brands were identified from seven companies. The ICC percentage ranged between 21.7 and 36.6 %, because three brands (14.9 %) are available as licit and illicit, which cannot be determined solely by examining the CBs.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Utilizing CBs to estimate the ICC proportion provides additional insights into understanding the illicit market and helps with the implementation of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco locally. Moreover, quantifying the discarded CBs levels constitutes a pivotal step for integrative evaluations of environmental repercussions, such as the reverse logistics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48364,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Drug Policy","volume":"136 ","pages":"Article 104692"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142899375","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Is living close to a drug treatment centre associated with stigma?","authors":"Xavier Bartoll-Roca ,&nbsp;Maria Gabriela Barbaglia ,&nbsp;Elisa Puigdomènech ,&nbsp;Catrina Clotas ,&nbsp;Montse Bartroli ,&nbsp;Katherine Pérez","doi":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104707","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104707","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Multiple studies have documented stigma towards people who use drugs, but a less well studied aspect of stigmatisation is the phenomenon known as “not in my backyard,” The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between living near a drug treatment centre and the degree of perceived public stigma, as well as to identify differences among sociodemographic profiles.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Based on the Barcelona Health Survey (N=3270), public stigma was defined as scores at or above the 66th percentile of an index of 2 questions on the general population's perceptions of people who use drugs as failures and as dangerous (Cronbach‘s alpha = 0.84). Survey participants were categorised into 3 areas based on their proximity to a drug treatment centre: in a buffer within 150 metres, between 150 and 300-metres, and the rest of the city. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between perceived public stigma and spatial proximity to a drug treatment centre, as well as variations among sociodemographic profiles.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Living within 150 metres of a drug treatment centre increased the probability of perceived public stigma (odds ratio=1.85 95%CI 1.12–3.07). At the city level, higher public stigma was associated with the older population, those with a lower educational level, and those born in a low-income country. However, the increase in public stigma within the 150-metre buffer was driven by groups that showed low levels of stigma at the city level.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Public stigma in the city is high and increases with proximity to a drug treatment centre, especially among groups that exhibit low levels of stigma at the city level. Identifying social groups showing high levels of “not in my back yard”-related stigma may help to redesign harm reduction interventions focusing on specific groups.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48364,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Drug Policy","volume":"136 ","pages":"Article 104707"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143025208","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Criminalizing public space through a decriminalization framework: The paradox of British Columbia, Canada","authors":"Tyson Singh Kelsall ,&nbsp;Jasmine Veark ,&nbsp;Molly Beatrice","doi":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104688","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104688","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This commentary explores a recent shift in British Columbia's drug policy under a novel drug “decriminalization” framework. We focus on the province's move toward \"recriminalization\" under this framework. In short, recriminalization was a shift in BC's drug decriminalization framework to only apply in private residences, and be removed from essentially all outdoor spaces. This policy change was completed through an agreement with the federal government amid a public health emergency. Since 2016, BC has faced a severe crisis of drug-related overdoses and poisonings, driven by a toxic and unregulated drug supply compounded by prohibitionist policies. Expert recommendations for increasing access to a regulated drug supply have repeatedly dismissed as solutions by the governing BC New Democratic Party, opting instead for measures that do not undercut the toxic drug supply. We examine the sociolegal context of the BC government decision to recriminalize drug use in 2024, including attempts to criminalize recent drug use and police suspicion of substance use. These drug law reforms, understood here as forms of biopolitical violence, reflect a broader trend of using drug policies as tools for social and spatial regulation. By analyzing the sociolegal implications of these policies, the commentary situates the BC government's actions within a framework of sanctioned biopolitical massacre, highlighting the tension between purported decriminalization efforts and the actual enforcement strategies that perpetuate harm and exclusion. This examination underscores the complex interplay between drug policy, public health crises, and state power in the context of systemic colonial and racialized control that may be adaptable to other regions considering drug law reform.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48364,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Drug Policy","volume":"136 ","pages":"Article 104688"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142873070","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Municipal socioeconomic environment and recreational cannabis use in Mexico: Analysis of two nationally representative surveys","authors":"Andrés Sánchez-Pájaro ,&nbsp;Carolina Pérez-Ferrer ,&nbsp;David A. Barrera-Núñez ,&nbsp;Magdalena Cerdá ,&nbsp;James F. Thrasher ,&nbsp;Tonatiuh Barrientos-Gutiérrez","doi":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104704","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104704","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Recreational cannabis use is increasing in Mexico, where legalization is a possibility. The current area-level socioeconomic context of cannabis use has not been studied in the country, limiting our understanding and public health response. We aimed to analyze the association between the municipal socioeconomic environment and recreational cannabis use in Mexico.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We used data from the National Survey of Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco Consumption 2016–17, the National Health and Nutrition Survey 2023, the 2015 intercensal survey and the 2020 census to study the association of municipal income and municipal education with past-year recreational cannabis use. We fitted Poisson models with robust variance to obtain prevalence ratios and assessed for effect modification by individual-level sex and age, and household-level education.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>For every unit increase in municipal education, we observed a 1.5 % increase in the prevalence of recreational cannabis use in 2016–17, and a 2.9 % increase in 2023. For each unit increase in municipal income, we observed a 1.5 % increase in the prevalence of recreational cannabis use in 2016–17, and a 1.8 % increase in 2023. We found no effect modification except for a single age group (20- to 29-year-olds vs to 12- to 19-year-olds).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Recreational cannabis use in Mexico is currently higher in more socioeconomically advantaged municipalities. Recreational cannabis use through socioeconomic areas should be monitored closely. Further research of the modifiable causes of this association could help inform current and future public health policies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48364,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Drug Policy","volume":"136 ","pages":"Article 104704"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143014201","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Age verification and underage accessibility of official alcohol companies' websites and brand pages on Facebook and Instagram","authors":"Ogochukwu W. Odeigah ,&nbsp;Ogbemudia P. Michael ,&nbsp;Adeola G. Adeoye","doi":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104689","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104689","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Digital alcohol marketing increases alcohol consumption among underage persons. The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of age verification measures on three digital sites: official alcohol company websites and their associated brand pages on Facebook and Instagram in Nigeria.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We created three fictitious age profiles (14, 16, and 18 years) on the three digital sites. Using a smartphone and desktop computer, we assessed the presence of age verification on 15 official alcohol companies' websites, 66 alcohol brand pages on Facebook, and 72 on Instagram. We assessed whether the fictitious underage profiles could interact with content on brand pages.</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>Only three of 15 alcohol companies' websites included age verification. Two websites required entering the date of birth, while one required clicking a yes/no box to confirm being above 18 years old. Only one website blocked multiple attempts to gain access using an underage profile. Only 24 of 66 official alcohol brand pages on Facebook activated age verification. Underage users aged 14 and 16 could interact with posts and follow 42 alcohol brand pages on Facebook. Only 22 of 72 alcohol brand pages on Instagram had age verification. Users aged 14 and 16 could interact with posts and follow 50 alcohol brand pages on Instagram.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Underage persons can access and interact with alcohol content on alcohol companies' websites and brand pages on Facebook and Instagram in Nigeria. A regulatory framework for restricting underage access to alcohol marketing on digital platforms is required in Nigeria.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48364,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Drug Policy","volume":"136 ","pages":"Article 104689"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142873068","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multilevel determinants of cannabis prices in legal markets: Evidence from products sold in nearly 4000 cannabis dispensaries in the United States","authors":"Bing Han,&nbsp;Yuyan Shi","doi":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104722","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104722","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Following cannabis legalization, sales in legal markets have steadily increased. Policies influencing product prices are crucial for cannabis regulation and control. This study aimed to evaluate the determinants of cannabis prices at the product, dispensary, and state levels in legal markets in the United States.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Nationwide data on product- and dispensary-level characteristics were collected in 2022 and merged with state-level policy data. The final analysis included 710,588 cannabis flower products from 3,693 dispensaries across 30 states and Washington D.C. with recreational and/or medical cannabis legalization. Multilevel mixed-effects regressions were used to estimate the associations between cannabis prices and product-, dispensary-, and state-level characteristics. Pre-rolls and dried flowers were analyzed separately.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The average standardized price per gram was $11.72 for pre-rolls and $9.05 for dried flowers, with significant variations across states. A positive association was found between prices and THC level (THC elasticity of price = 0.17, 95 % CI: 0.088, 0.25) and a negative association was found between prices and item weight (weight elasticity of price = -0.18, 95 % CI: -0.22, -0.14). There was limited evidence of associations between prices and dispensary-level characteristics, such as dispensary type (medical vs. recreational), license status, and density of nearby competitors. State tax rates at the retail level were positively associated with prices. These relationships were consistent for both pre-rolls and dried flowers.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Policies targeting potency and item weight may have substantial impacts on cannabis prices in legal markets. Future research is needed to examine how consumers respond to these policies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48364,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Drug Policy","volume":"137 ","pages":"Article 104722"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143081685","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}