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Manthey J, Rehm J, Verthein U. Germany's cannabis act: a catalyst for European drug policy reform? THE LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. EUROPE 2024; 42:100929. [PMID: 38779298 PMCID: PMC11109464 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.100929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
With the enforcement of the Cannabis Act on 1 April 2024, Germany has adopted one of the most liberal legal approaches to cannabis on the continent. The German model prioritises a non-profit approach and precludes legal market mechanisms. We believe these are the main drivers for increasing cannabis use and related health problems, based on observations following cannabis legalisation in Canada and many states in the U.S. Although legalising cannabis possession and cultivation may not immediately eliminate the illegal market, it is expected to serve public health goals. Despite the overall positive evaluation of the Cannabis Act in Germany, there are three potential areas of concern: the potential for misuse of the medical system, the normalization of cannabis use, and the influence of the cannabis industry. The German model may herald the beginning of a new generation of European cannabis policies, but concerted efforts will be required to ensure that these policy reforms serve rather than undermine public health goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Manthey
- Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research (ZIS), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Semmelweisstraße 10, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jürgen Rehm
- Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research (ZIS), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute for Mental Health Policy Research & Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Ursula Franklin Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 2S1, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College Street, 8th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5T 1R8, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 1P8, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 1 King's College Circle, Room 2374, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
- Program on Substance Abuse, Public Health Agency of Catalonia, Program on Substance Abuse & WHO CC, 81-95 Roc Boronat St., 08005, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Uwe Verthein
- Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research (ZIS), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
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Manthey J, Obradors-Pineda A. Prices of flower and resin in cannabis social clubs: Analyses of register data from 220,000 collections. Drug Alcohol Rev 2023. [PMID: 37183527 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cannabis social clubs (CSC) are community-based non-profit organisations that aim to minimise cannabis-related harm for their members. This contribution seeks to: (i) compare the cost of cannabis flower and resin in CSCs to the national average retail price on the illegal market; and (ii) identify possible quantity discounts for cannabis flower and resin distributed to members of CSCs. METHODS Routine data from four CSCs located in Barcelona, Spain, contained information on n = 220,465 collections of cannabis resin and flower (0.01-39 g per collection). The costs for 1 g of cannabis flower and resin per collection were determined. The mean national prices on illicit cannabis were obtained from Spanish police reports. RESULTS On average, members paid 6.19€ for 1 g flower (median: 6€; interquartile range: 6-7€) and 8.54€ for 1 g resin (median: 7€; interquartile range: 6-9€), with less variations for flower than for resin. Compared to the national average, prices appeared to be higher for cannabis products distributed in CSCs, but comparisons were limited by a lack of data on the variation of national prices. For resin, doubling the quantity was associated with a 20.7% (95% confidence interval 20.4-21.2%; p < 0.001) fee discount. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Cannabis in CSCs may be more costly than the estimated national average for the illicit market. No meaningful price discount could be observed for flower but for resin. Pricing policies pursued by CSCs may help to disincentivise consumption of larger amounts but may also bar socioeconomically disadvantaged users from accessing safer alternatives than the illegal market.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Manthey
- Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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Manthey J, Jacobsen B, Hayer T, Kalke J, López-Pelayo H, Pons-Cabrera MT, Verthein U, Rosenkranz M. The impact of legal cannabis availability on cannabis use and health outcomes: A systematic review. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2023; 116:104039. [PMID: 37126997 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND For alcohol, regulating availability is an effective way to reduce consumption and harm. Similarly, the higher availability of medical cannabis dispensaries has been linked to increased cannabis consumption and harm. For recreational cannabis markets, such a link is suspected but still poorly understood. METHODS A systematic literature review (PROSPERO registration number 342357) was conducted on 1 July 2022 in common libraries (Medline, Web of Science, PsycInfo, Psyndex, CINAHL, Embase, SCOPUS, Cochrane) for publications since 2012. Studies linking variations in the availability of legal cannabis products to behavioral outcomes (cannabis use or related health indicators) were included, while studies focusing solely on the legalization of medical cannabis were excluded. The risk of bias was assessed using an adapted version of the Newcastle-Ottawa-Scale. RESULTS After screening n = 6,253 studies, n = 136 were selected for full-text review, out of which n = 13 met the inclusion criteria, reporting on n = 333,550 study participants and n = 855,630 presentations to emergency departments. All studies were conducted in North America, with the majority from Western US states. Using longitudinal (n = 1), cross-sectional (n = 4), or repeated cross-sectional (n = 8) study designs, an increased availability of legal cannabis was linked to increased current cannabis use and health-related outcomes (vomiting, psychosis, or cannabis-involved pregnancies), regardless of the indicator employed to measure availability (proximity or density) among both adults and adolescents. The positive correlation between cannabis availability and consumption is most pronounced among those groups who have been less exposed to cannabis before legalization. The association between the availability of legal cannabis and risky use indicators was less consistent. CONCLUSIONS Groups who have been least exposed to cannabis before legalization may be most susceptible to increased availability. In jurisdictions with legal cannabis markets, restrictions on the number of legal cannabis retailers, especially in densely populated areas, appear warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Manthey
- Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research (ZIS), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistraße 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany; Institute for Interdisciplinary Addiction and Drug Research, Lokstedter Weg 24, 20251 Hamburg, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Semmelweisstraße 10, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Britta Jacobsen
- Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research (ZIS), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistraße 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany; Institute for Interdisciplinary Addiction and Drug Research, Lokstedter Weg 24, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Hayer
- University of Bremen, Institute of Public Health and Nursing Research, Department for Health and Society, Grazerstr. 2, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Jens Kalke
- Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research (ZIS), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistraße 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany; Institute for Interdisciplinary Addiction and Drug Research, Lokstedter Weg 24, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hugo López-Pelayo
- Grup de Recerca en Addicions Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Unitat de Conductes Addictives, Servei de Psiquiatria Psicologia (ICN), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Spain
| | - Maria Teresa Pons-Cabrera
- Grup de Recerca en Addicions Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Unitat de Conductes Addictives, Servei de Psiquiatria Psicologia (ICN), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Uwe Verthein
- Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research (ZIS), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistraße 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Moritz Rosenkranz
- Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research (ZIS), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistraße 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany; Institute for Interdisciplinary Addiction and Drug Research, Lokstedter Weg 24, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
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Affiliation(s)
- David Love
- United States Drug Enforcement Administration, Special Testing and Research Laboratory, USA
| | - Nicole S. Jones
- RTI International, Applied Justice Research Division, Center for Forensic Sciences, 3040 E. Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC, 22709-2194, USA,70113th Street, N.W., Suite 750, Washington, DC, 20005-3967, USA,Corresponding author. RTI International, Applied Justice Research Division, Center for Forensic Sciences, 3040 E. Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC, 22709-2194, USA.
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Smart R, Doremus J. The kids aren't alright: The effects of medical marijuana market size on adolescents. JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS 2023; 87:102700. [PMID: 36455395 PMCID: PMC9868098 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2022.102700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
We exploit shocks to US federal enforcement policy to assess how legal medical marijuana market size affects youth marijuana use and consequences for youth traffic-related fatalities. Using hand-collected data on state medical marijuana patient rates to develop a novel measure of market size, we find that legal market growth increases youth marijuana use. Likely mechanisms are lower prices and easier access. Youth die more frequently from alcohol-involved car accidents, suggesting complementarities for youths. The consequences of marijuana legalization for youth are not immediate, but depend on how supply-side regulations affect production and prices.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jacqueline Doremus
- California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, United States of America
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Queirolo R, Álvarez E, Sotto B, Cruz JM. How High-Frequency Users Embraced Cannabis Regulation in Uruguay. JOURNAL OF DRUG ISSUES 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/00220426221134902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
How cannabis legalization affects users’ behaviors? In this paper, we describe changes in the way users access cannabis in Uruguay before and after the implementation of cannabis regulation. We explore the differences between users that access through the legal, black, and gray markets. To do so, we rely on two face-to-face surveys of high-frequency users using the Respondent Driven Sample technique. The first survey was conducted at the beginning of the regulation implementation in 2014, and the second one in 2017. Results indicate that cannabis users gradually moved to the legal market, and most switched to the gray market. Furthermore, users kept acquiring cannabis from the black market even when using legal mechanisms. Considering these results, we argue that the strict regulations imposed in Uruguay may have operated as barriers for consumers to abandon the black market completely. These findings show that the specifics of each legalization policy matter.
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Meinhofer A, Witman A, Maclean JC, Bao Y. Prenatal substance use policies and newborn health. HEALTH ECONOMICS 2022; 31:1452-1467. [PMID: 35445500 PMCID: PMC9177792 DOI: 10.1002/hec.4518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
We study the effect of punitive and priority treatment policies relating to illicit substance use during pregnancy on the rate of neonatal drug withdrawal syndrome, low birth weight, low gestational age, and prenatal care use. Punitive policies criminalize prenatal substance use, or define prenatal substance exposure as child maltreatment in child welfare statutes or as grounds for termination of parental rights. Priority treatment policies are supportive and grant pregnant women priority access to substance use disorder treatment programs. Our empirical strategy relies on administrative data from 2008 to 2018 and a difference-in-differences framework that exploits the staggered implementation of these policies. We find that neonatal drug withdrawal syndrome increases by 10%-18% following the implementation of a punitive policy. This growth is accompanied by modest reductions in prenatal care, which may reflect deterrence from healthcare utilization. In contrast, priority treatment policies are associated with small reductions in low gestational age (2%) and low birth weight (2%), along with increases in prenatal care use. Taken together, our findings suggest that punitive approaches may be associated with unintended adverse pregnancy outcomes, and that supportive approaches may be more effective for improving perinatal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angélica Meinhofer
- Department of Population Health SciencesWeill Cornell MedicineNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Allison Witman
- Cameron School of BusinessUniversity of North Carolina WilmingtonWilmingtonNorth CarolinaUSA
| | | | - Yuhua Bao
- Department of Population Health SciencesWeill Cornell MedicineNew YorkNew YorkUSA
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Meinhofer A, Witman AE, Hinde JM, Simon K. Marijuana liberalization policies and perinatal health. JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS 2021; 80:102537. [PMID: 34626876 PMCID: PMC8643317 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2021.102537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
We studied the effect of marijuana liberalization policies on perinatal health with a multiperiod difference-in-differences estimator that exploited variation in effective dates of medical marijuana laws (MML) and recreational marijuana laws (RML). We found that the proportion of maternal hospitalizations with marijuana use disorder increased by 23% (0.3 percentage points) in the first three years after RML implementation, with larger effects in states authorizing commercial sales of marijuana. This growth was accompanied by a 7% (0.4 percentage points) decline in tobacco use disorder hospitalizations, yielding a net zero effect over all substance use disorder hospitalizations. RMLs were not associated with statistically significant changes in newborn health. MMLs had no statistically significant effect on maternal substance use disorder hospitalizations nor on newborn health and fairly small effects could be ruled out. In absolute numbers, our findings implied modest or no adverse effects of marijuana liberalization policies on the array of perinatal outcomes considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angélica Meinhofer
- Weill Cornell Medicine, 425 E 61st Street, Suite 301, New York, NY 10065, United States.
| | - Allison E Witman
- University of North Carolina Wilmington, 601 S. College Road, Wilmington, NC 28043-5920, United States.
| | - Jesse M Hinde
- RTI International, 3040 East Cornwallis Road, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, United States.
| | - Kosali Simon
- Indiana University, 1315 East Tenth Street, Bloomington, IN 47405-1701, United States.
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