The Kids Aren't Alright: The Effects of Medical Marijuana Market Size on Adolescents

Overview

Journal J Health Econ

Specialty Health Services

Date 2022 Dec 1

PMID 36455395

Authors

Rosanna Smart

Jacqueline Doremus

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

We exploit shocks to US federal enforcement policy to assess how legal medical marijuana market size affects youth marijuana use and consequences for youth traffic-related fatalities. Using hand-collected data on state medical marijuana patient rates to develop a novel measure of market size, we find that legal market growth increases youth marijuana use. Likely mechanisms are lower prices and easier access. Youth die more frequently from alcohol-involved car accidents, suggesting complementarities for youths. The consequences of marijuana legalization for youth are not immediate, but depend on how supply-side regulations affect production and prices.

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