# Dynamics of Cannabis Market Environment Changes and Public Health Effects after Legalization: The Role of Local-Level Regulation Beyond the Short-Term in the Pacific Northwest

> **NIH NIH R01** · MULTNOMAH COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT · 2020 · $418,658

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
 Despite federal cannabis prohibition, an increasing number of states are implementing
or considering cannabis legalization. Washington and Oregon were among the first states to
legalize, in 2012 and 2014. Jurisdictions in the U.S. and abroad are looking to the early state
adopters to identify best practices for state and local policy, and to learn about the impact of
cannabis legalization beyond the short-term.
 In response to state legalization of recreational cannabis, many communities in
Washington and Oregon have initiated additional regulatory policies or taxes. Currently, there is
no evidence base to predict the effectiveness of such local policy actions for moderating public
health or social outcomes that may follow cannabis legalization.
 The Aims of the proposed study are to:
1) Monitor and document local-level changes in cannabis policies, prices, and market activities
(e.g., density, sales) in Oregon and Washington.
2) Assess how local variation in cannabis policies, prices, and market activities in Oregon and
Washington affect cannabis use and related health outcomes beyond the short-term (5-10 years
after legalization) among youth, pregnant and parenting women, and adults.
3) Estimate the short-term and longer-term effects of local-level cannabis policies, prices and
market activities on the prevalence and frequency of alcohol and tobacco use among youth,
pregnant women, new mothers, and all adults, as well as substance use treatment and
hospitalizations related to alcohol and opioids in Oregon and Washington.
 We will address these aims using quasi-experimental methods and geospatial analyses
that exploit within-state and across-time variation in cannabis policies, prices, and market
activities. We will collect and review local marijuana policies in both states, retailer-level
licensing and transaction data, and assess their association with relevant behavioral, public
health and social outcomes. We will rely on multiple established public health surveillance and
other data reporting systems, which are largely common across both states.
 Findings from this study will provide policymakers and other stakeholders with strong
evidence about the effectiveness of local cannabis policies on public health outcomes.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10026091
- **Project number:** 5R01DA039293-05
- **Recipient organization:** MULTNOMAH COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
- **Principal Investigator:** Julia Ann Dilley
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $418,658
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2015-09-15 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10026091

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10026091, Dynamics of Cannabis Market Environment Changes and Public Health Effects after Legalization: The Role of Local-Level Regulation Beyond the Short-Term in the Pacific Northwest (5R01DA039293-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10026091. Licensed CC0.

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