The Impact of Recreational Cannabis Markets on Cannabis Use Among Adolescents and Adults: A Synthetic Control Analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To assess the longer-term impacts of recreational cannabis markets on cannabis use among adolescents and adults across five U.S. states.

Method

Drawing on state-level data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, this study uses a novel method of causal inference called the synthetic control method with staggered treatment adoption to estimate the pooled effect of recreational markets on prevalence and initiation of use in Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Nevada. Three separate models were used for those 12-17, 18-25, and 26 and older. Pre-treatment state-level characteristics and trends in cannabis use were used to generate synthetic control weights. Confidence intervals were constructed using a leave-one-out jackknifing method.

Results

Syn

SUBMITTER: Marinello S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11831904 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature