GEOGRAPHICAL ACCESS TO RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Substance Use Research
• Cannabis Policy Evaluation

Background:

• The legalization of recreational marijuana has led to increased availability of legal retail outlets.
• Understanding the relationship between retail access and adult marijuana use is crucial for public health policy.
• Previous research has yielded mixed results on the impact of retail density and proximity on cannabis consumption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between local access to legal marijuana retailers and adult marijuana use in Washington State.
• To determine if drive time to the nearest retailer and retail density influence marijuana consumption patterns.
• To identify demographic subgroups (e.g., young adults, women, rural residents) most affected by increased retail access.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for Washington State.
• Measured local marijuana access using drive time to the nearest legal retailer and various retail density metrics.
• Employed statistical analyses to assess the relationship between retail access measures and self-reported adult marijuana use and frequency.

Main Results:

• A decrease in drive time to the nearest legal marijuana retailer was associated with increased marijuana use and higher frequency of use.
• These effects were most pronounced among young adults (ages 18-26), women, and residents of rural areas.
• The impact of retail density on marijuana use was contingent upon the specific metric used, especially when controlling for proximity.

Conclusions:

• Increased proximity to legal marijuana retailers demonstrably increases adult marijuana use in Washington.
• Policy implications suggest that the spatial distribution and accessibility of retail outlets significantly influence population-level cannabis consumption.
• Targeted public health interventions may be necessary for demographic groups exhibiting heightened sensitivity to retail access, such as young adults, women, and rural populations.