Drug Markets in an Evolving Legal and Social Context

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract/Description

Traditional markets for illicit goods and services have primarily involved in-person transactions between buyers and sellers. Today, illicit markets and individuals’ reasons for engaging with these markets can look very different. The dark web allows for increased anonymity and secrecy; evolving drug policy and novel substances have proliferated both legal and illegal markets for drugs; decriminalization laws (such as those in Oregon) have eased the traditionally seen punitiveness towards those who use drugs. The presentations in this panel examine important policy-relevant issues by assessing illicit markets for opioids, cannabis, and synthetic forms of THC, with special attention to associations between policy developments and decision-making. Results from these studies will contribute to our understanding of the changing dynamics of illicit drug markets.

Sub Unit

• Area IV. Correlates of Crime / 25. Substance Use and Abuse

Individual Presentations

• Decomposing Daily and Near Daily (DND) Cannabis Use Trends (2018 - 2024) - Codey Carr, University of Maryland, College Park

• “It sounds like fake weed to me”: Perceptions of Delta-8 Among Undergraduate Students in Pennsylvania - Anna Newell, The Pennsylvania State University; Jordan Pierce, University of Maryland, College Park

• Examining Drug-Related Crime Rates in Oregon and Surrounding States Following the Passage of Measure 110 - Paige Patton, Pennsylvania State University

• Anonymous Ratings, Anonymous Sellers: The Price of Reputation in the Online Marijuana Market - Ella Taylor, Pennsylvania State University

Chair

• Holly Nguyen, Pennsylvania State University