Evolution of the United States Marijuana Market in the Decade of Liberalization
posted 02/08/2016
publication Published online before print August 2, 2016, doi: 10.1177/0022042616659759 Journal of Drug Issues August 2,
Evolution of the United States
Marijuana Market in the Decade of Liberalization Before Full Legalization
Steven S. Davenport1⇑
Jonathan P. Caulkins2
1Pardee RAND Graduate School, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Steven S. Davenport, Pardee RAND Graduate School, 1776 Main Street, Los Angeles, CA 90401, USA. Email: stevenseandavenport@gmail.com
Abstract
The past decade has seen a remarkable liberalization of marijuana policies in many parts of the United States. We analyze data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) for coinciding changes in the marijuana market from 2002 to 2013, including market size, number and demographics of customers, and varying means of acquiring the drug. Results suggests that (a) the national market has grown, especially in terms of the number of daily users; (b) marijuana users remained economically “downscale” over this period, and in many ways resemble cigarette users; (c) distribution networks appear to be professionalizing in a sense, as fewer users obtain marijuana socially; (d) the typical purchase has gotten smaller by weight but not price paid, suggestive of a trend toward higher potencies; (e) marijuana expenditures vary by user group; and (f) respondents with medical marijuana recommendations differ from other users in systematic ways.
