The Effects of State and Local Cannabis Policy Design on Local and Neighbouring Legal and Illicit Markets

• In Event: Oh, Canada: Embarking upon the Legalization of Cannabis

Abstract

As laws legalizing recreational cannabis use are considered throughout the United States, other jurisdictions considering both policies governing the sale and use of cannabis and responding to their neighbors’ actions may learn from early actor states. This analysis synthesizes policy design options with information from national surveys and state retail sales data to explore the potential effects of state and local policy variation on cannabis use and related health and criminal justice outcomes in Oregon and Washington State, two states with new recreational markets, and Vermont, a state considering legalization. Drawing on data from Washington and Oregon’s cannabis seed-to-sale tracking systems, the presentation explores the effects of variation in local cannabis sales and consumption policies on relative prices, changes in local medical marijuana markets in response to the recreational market, and explores the significance of purchases intended for consumption in neighboring states.

Author

• Greg Midgette, RAND Corporation