# Local Alcohol and Marijuana Policies, Retail Availability, and Co-Use During Adolescence and Early Adulthood

> **NIH NIH P60** · PACIFIC INSTITUTE FOR RES AND EVALUATION · 2024 · $285,343

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
A growing number of states have legalized marijuana for medical and recreational use, which may increase the
likelihood of concurrent or simultaneous use (co-use) with alcohol. Co-use of alcohol and marijuana may
exacerbate problems associated with their use, including impaired driving, poor academic performance,
aggression, and increased risk of substance use disorder. Regulatory policies and their enforcement may
affect alcohol and marijuana use and co-use directly by deterring use or indirectly by influencing commercial
and social availability, opportunities for use, beliefs about risks, and norms. Although we know a great deal
about state-level alcohol policies, we know less about local policies, and little or no research has examined
both local alcohol and marijuana policies and the extent to which they may jointly influence alcohol and
marijuana use, co-use, and problems over time. Given the substantial variation in how alcohol and marijuana
policies are implemented and enforced at the local level, and the rapidly changing marijuana policy
environment, this is a serious gap in our knowledge of how to effectively regulate these substances to minimize
problems. Moreover, little is known about how young people adapt to local regulatory policies and enforcement
activities that place constraints on availability and opportunities for using alcohol and marijuana and risks
associated with such adaptations. Alcohol and drug policies and enforcement may have differential effects
across gender, sexual, and racial/ethnic groups, potentially contributing to health disparities. To address these
issues, we propose a five-year study to investigate whether more restrictive evidence-based local policies and
stronger enforcement reduce alcohol and marijuana availability and opportunities for use, and prevent alcohol
and marijuana use, co-use, and related problems during adolescence and in early adulthood. The study will be
conducted in 40 California cities that vary in alcohol and marijuana regulatory policies and retail availability. We
will monitor changes in marijuana and alcohol policies, enforcement activities, and marijuana and alcohol retail
availability over a three-year period. We will conduct a three-wave longitudinal survey with a cohort of 1,000 15
to 20-year-olds recruited in the 40 cities to assess their alcohol and marijuana use and co-use in different
contexts, related problems, sources and types of marijuana and alcohol used, and related beliefs. This study
will (a) determine whether more restrictive local regulatory policies and enforcement activities delay initiation of
alcohol and marijuana use and co-use and prevent escalation of these behaviors and problems over time; (b)
ascertain the extent to which such effects are mediated through availability (social, commercial, and illicit),
opportunities and constraints for alcohol and marijuana use, and related beliefs; (c) provide guidance to
policymakers and public health stakeholders...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10758235
- **Project number:** 5P60AA006282-42
- **Recipient organization:** PACIFIC INSTITUTE FOR RES AND EVALUATION
- **Principal Investigator:** MALLIE J PASCHALL
- **Activity code:** P60 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $285,343
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1983-09-29 → 2027-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10758235

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10758235, Local Alcohol and Marijuana Policies, Retail Availability, and Co-Use During Adolescence and Early Adulthood (5P60AA006282-42). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10758235. Licensed CC0.

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