Relationship Between Marijuana Liberalization Policies and Binge Drinking: Early Evidence on the Importance of Mechanisms

• In Event: Substance-Use and Mental Health

Abstract

In recent years, states have increasingly enacted policies that increase the availability of marijuana (e.g., medical legalization, recreational legalization) and decreased the consequences for its use (i.e., decriminalization). To date, scholars have remained generally optimistic regarding the impact of these policies, with suggestions of reducing unnecessary criminal justice contact and reducing opioid use and disordered use. However, these policies may also have unintended consequences, including affecting the incidence of binge drinking, a particularly harmful form of alcohol consumption. In this study, we consider whether marijuana liberalization policies – including the presence of multiple policies – affects the frequency and/or incidence of binge drinking using the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey from 2003-2019. We consider the direct effects of these policies as well as (a) whether policies have different impacts based on individual age and (b) whether policy impacts are consistent with theoretical mechanisms (i.e., marijuana use). Our results suggest caution regarding claims that marijuana liberalization results in universal public health improvements.

Authors

• John D. Crum, The Pennsylvania State University

• Miranda A. Galvin, The Pennsylvania State University