Rosanna Smart

@RosannaSmart on Twitter

Economist; Affiliate Faculty, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Santa Monica Office

Education

Ph.D. in economics, University of California, Los Angeles; M.A. in economics, University of California, Los Angeles; B.A. in economics, Pomona College

Media Resources

This researcher is available for interviews.

To arrange an interview, contact the RAND Office of Media Relations at (310) 451-6913, or email media@rand.org.

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Overview

Rosanna Smart is an economist at the RAND Corporation and a member of the Pardee RAND Graduate School faculty. Her research is in applied microeconomics, with a focus on issues related to health behaviors, illicit markets, drug policy, programs to reduce crime and improve police operations and outcomes, and the determinants of gun violence.

Her work has covered a variety of issues related to better understanding substance use behaviors in the context of evolving policy, including the study of mechanisms to increase access to naloxone, trends and patterns of polysubstance use, the spillover effects of increased medical cannabis availability, and the evolution of recreational cannabis markets. Other research includes projects studying the operational and fiscal impact of criminal justice policy changes on local agencies, barriers to employment facing workers with criminal records, as well as studies to inform effective gun policy in the United States.

Smart received her Ph.D. in economics from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Research Focus

Recent Media Appearances

Interviews: Bloomberg Radio

Commentary

'Stand Your Ground' Laws May Be Causing More Harm Than Good
Americans have debated whether “stand your ground” laws or gun-free zones make us safer or less safe for decades. These are debates about factual matters that are, in principle, knowable. Without research on these and other topics, bad laws will inadvertently be passed or retained.
Sep 12, 2019 Orlando Sentinel
How Will Cannabis Legalization Affect Alcohol Consumption?
How will legalization of recreational marijuana affect alcohol consumption? Will drinking go down because people substitute cannabis for alcohol? Or will drinking go up because cannabis and alcohol complement each other? These questions have important implications.
Feb 13, 2018 GreenState (San Francisco Chronicle)

Publications

Journal Article
Moving Beyond the Classic Difference-In-Differences Model: A Simulation Study Comparing Statistical Methods for Estimating Effectiveness of State-Level Policies
Researchers conducted an extensive simulation study to compare the statistical performance of commonly used methods for evaluating state-level opioid policies, including popular difference-in-differences methods.
Dec 15, 2021
Report
The Magnitude and Sources of Disagreement Among Gun Policy Experts: Second Edition
This report describes combined results from two fieldings of a survey of gun policy experts designed to identify areas of agreement and whether disagreements stem from assumptions about the policies' effects or from differences in policy objectives.
Nov 30, 2021
Journal Article
Assessment of State and Federal Health Policies for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond
Researchers summarize the multitude of ways access to and utilization of treatment for individuals with OUD might have been expanded by state and federal policy during COVID-19 pandemic in 4 key areas: telehealth, privacy, licensing, and medication.
Nov 23, 2021
Journal Article
Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome Is Associated With Infant Foster Care Entry At The County Level
This study used a decade of data from U.S. counties to examine how rates of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) and county-level characteristics were associated with entry in the child welfare system.
Oct 20, 2021
Report
Evaluating Baltimore's Aerial Investigation Research Pilot Program: Interim Report
This report provides interim findings on the Aerial Investigation Research pilot program, a Baltimore Police Department program in which manned aircraft equipped with cameras gathered evidence to support crime investigations.
Jul 29, 2021
Journal Article
Toward a Typology of Office-based Buprenorphine Treatment Laws: Themes from a Review of State Laws
Buprenorphine is a gold standard treatment for opioid use disorder. Some states have passed laws regulating office-based buprenorphine treatment, with requirements beyond those required in federal law. This study identified themes in state laws.
May 26, 2021
Tool
Inpatient Hospitalizations for Firearm Injury: Estimating State-Level Rates from 2000 to 2016
RAND researchers developed a database of state-level estimates of inpatient hospitalizations for firearm injury. This document describes the methods used to construct the estimates and provides technical documentation to facilitate database use.
Apr 27, 2021
Journal Article
Prescribers and Naloxone Pharmacy Claims
Commentary on an article by Truong, Patil, and Rich, on the benefits and dangers of naloxone prescriptions.
Apr 13, 2021
Journal Article
Acknowledging and Monitoring the Costs of Seriously Regulating Cannabis
Wilkins & Rychert highlight challenges to achieving the Cannabis Legalization and Control Bill's objectives of reducing cannabis use and harms.
Apr 13, 2021
Journal Article
Capsule Commentary for Azcarate Et Al., Medical Reasons for Marijuana Use, Forms of Use, and Patient Perception of Physician Attitudes Among the US Population
Commentary on an article by Azcarate et al., assessing U.S. adults' motivations for and perceived physician attitudes towards medical cannabis use.
Apr 13, 2021
Journal Article
How High: Differences in the Developments of Cannabis Markets in Two Legalized States
This paper is the first to examine cannabis market data from Washington alongside that from Oregon, two states that are similar in regard to legalizing retail sales of cannabis but differ in terms of their regulatory frameworks.
Apr 13, 2021
Journal Article
Impact on Nonfirearm Deaths of Firearm Laws Affecting Firearm Deaths: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
State gun policies that reduce firearm homicides are likely to reduce overall homicides in the state by approximately the same number. It is currently unknown whether the same holds for state gun policies that significantly reduce firearm suicides.
Apr 13, 2021
Report
An Empirical Assessment of the U.S. Army's Enlistment Waiver Policies: An Examination in Light of Emerging Societal Trends in Behavioral Health and the Legalization of Marijuana
This report documents an analysis of the performance of U.S. Army recruits who receive waivers, as well as those with a documented history of marijuana, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, or anxiety.
Mar 11, 2021
Journal Article
Patient, Prescriber, and Community Factors Associated with Filled Naloxone Prescriptions Among Patients Receiving Buprenorphine 2017–18
This retrospective analysis examines filled naloxone prescriptions among patients receiving buprenorphine treatment and assesses how rates of filled naloxone prescriptions varies by patient, prescriber, and community characteristics.
Feb 19, 2021
Journal Article
Individual and Community Factors Associated with Naloxone Co-prescribing Among Long-term Opioid Patients: A Retrospective Analysis
This retrospective analysis examines naloxone co-prescribing in the general population and assess how co-prescribing varies by individual and community characteristics.
Feb 19, 2021
Journal Article
Current U.S. State Cannabis Sales Limits Allow Large Doses for Use or Diversion
This cross-sectional study examined how transaction sales limits on recreational cannabis translate to tetrahydrocannabinol doses among U.S. states allowing commercial cannabis sales as of January 1, 2020.
Feb 17, 2021
Report
Preliminary Findings from the Aerial Investigation Research Pilot Program
This report provides preliminary findings on the Aerial Investigation Research pilot program, a Baltimore Police Department program in which manned aircraft equipped with cameras gathered evidence to support crime investigations.
Jan 27, 2021
Report
Pitfalls and Potholes: Data Issues to Consider When Analyzing State Opioid Policies, September 14, 2020
This webinar focused on data dimensions that researchers should keep in mind when conducting analyses of state opioid policies and when seeking to draw conclusions from other studies.
Oct 21, 2020
Journal Article
Systematic Review of the Emerging Literature on the Effectiveness of Naloxone Access Laws in the United States
The existing literature on naloxone access laws in the United States supports beneficial effects for increased naloxone distribution, but provides inconclusive evidence for reduced fatal opioid overdose.
Jul 28, 2020
Journal Article
The State of the Science in Opioid Policy Research
The rigor of study design varies notably across policy categories, highlighting the need for broader adoption of rigorous methods in opioid policy research.
Jul 7, 2020
Journal Article
Changes in Firearm Mortality Following the Implementation of State Laws Regulating Firearm Access and Use
Laws that regulate children's access to firearms, the carrying of a concealed firearm, and the use of a firearm in self-defense, are associated with an 11% decrease in the firearms-related death rate.
Jun 26, 2020
Tool
Understanding and Using Research on Gun Policy in America: An Interdisciplinary Unit Plan Based on RAND's Gun Policy in America Website, Suggested Grades 10–12
As part of the Gun Policy in America initiative, RAND researchers developed a unit plan centered on the evidence-based resources on the project website. The unit, designed for grades 10-12, helps students understand existing gun policy research.
Jun 11, 2020
Report
The Science of Gun Policy: A Critical Synthesis of Research Evidence on the Effects of Gun Policies in the United States, Second Edition
This report, the second edition of an earlier work, synthesizes the available scientific evidence for the effects of various firearm policies on firearm deaths, violent crime, the gun industry, defensive gun use, and other outcomes.
Apr 22, 2020
Tool
State-Level Estimates of Household Firearm Ownership
As part of the Gun Policy in America initiative, researchers developed annual, state-level estimates of household firearm ownership from 1980 to 2016, which should help further research on the relationship between firearm ownership and key outcomes.
Apr 22, 2020
Report
Comparing the Army's Suicide Rate to the General U.S. Population: Identifying Suitable Characteristics, Data Sources, and Analytic Approaches
Researchers investigate how accounting for demographic factors beyond age and gender (race/ethnicity, time, marital status, and educational attainment) affects suicide rate differences between soldiers and the general U.S. population.
Mar 10, 2020
Journal Article
Legal Requirements and Recommendations to Prescribe Naloxone
We conducted a systematic legal review of state laws that mandate or recommend that healthcare providers prescribe naloxone to patients with indicators for opioid overdose risk.
Feb 21, 2020
Journal Article
We Need a Taxonomy of State-Level Opioid Policies
Developing and using a state-level opioid policy can facilitate the design and implementation of more effective state-level policies-an essential tool in addressing the opioid crisis.
Feb 7, 2020
Journal Article
An Observational Study of Retail Pharmacy Naloxone Prescriptions: Differences Across Provider Specialties and Patient Populations
This article explores variation in pharmacy-dispensed naloxone by prescriber specialty and patient characteristics.
Dec 6, 2019
Journal Article
Strengths and Weaknesses of Existing Data Sources to Support Research to Address the Opioids Crisis
We conducted a scoping study to identify data sources and linking strategies commonly used in opioid studies, describe data source strengths and limitations, and highlight opportunities to use data to address public health research questions.
Dec 5, 2019
Journal Article
Early Evidence of the Impact of Cannabis Legalization on Cannabis Use, Cannabis Use Disorder, and the Use of Other Substances: Findings from State Policy Evaluations
Understanding effects of cannabis laws requires greater attention to differences in short- versus long-term effects of the laws, nuances of policies and patterns of consumption, and careful consideration of appropriate control groups.
Oct 30, 2019
Journal Article
Who Receives Naloxone from Emergency Medical Services? Characteristics of Calls and Recent Trends
Administration of naloxone by emergency medical services personnel is increasing faster than opioid-related deaths.
Sep 17, 2019
Report
After the Grand Opening: Assessing Cannabis Supply and Demand in Washington State
This report provides detailed information about state-legal cannabis production and sales in Washington, as well as insights about the total amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) obtained from legal and illegal sources by Washington residents.
Aug 2, 2019
Report
Considering Heroin-Assisted Treatment and Supervised Drug Consumption Sites in the United States
In this mixed-methods report, the authors assess evidence on and arguments made about heroin-assisted treatment and supervised consumption sites and examine some of the issues associated with implementing them in the United States.
Dec 6, 2018
Draft
Evidence on the Effectiveness of Heroin-Assisted Treatment
This working paper is part of a series of reports assessing the evidence on and arguments made about heroin-assisted treatment and supervised consumption sites and examining some of the issues associated with implementing them in the United States.
Dec 6, 2018
Journal Article
Data Sources and Data-Linking Strategies to Support Research to Address the Opioid Crisis: Final Report
This report highlights key research questions and identifies opportunities to use existing data sources and implement data-linking strategies that can support the HHS five point strategy to combat the opioid crisis.
Oct 16, 2018
Report
Examining Consumer Responses to Calorie Information on Restaurant Menus in a Discrete Choice Experiment
In light of the 2014 U.S. Food and Drug Administration final rule requiring the calorie content of food items to be clearly displayed on menus, RAND researchers designed an online survey to look at how this information affects consumers.
Mar 28, 2018
Report
The Science of Gun Policy: A Critical Synthesis of Research Evidence on the Effects of Gun Policies in the United States
This report synthesizes the available scientific evidence on the effects of various firearm policies on firearm deaths, violent crime, the gun industry, participation in hunting and sport shooting, and other outcomes.
Mar 2, 2018
Research Brief
Incentivizing Employers to Hire Ex-Offenders: What Policies Are Most Effective?
To inform efforts aimed at improving employment rates and earnings potential for ex-offenders, RAND researchers examined employer preferences of policy options designed to incentivize employment of individuals with felony criminal records.
Feb 8, 2018
Report
Breaking Down Barriers: Experiments into Policies That Might Incentivize Employers to Hire Ex-Offenders
To inform policies and programs aimed at improving employment rates for ex-offenders, we conducted experiments to examine employer preferences regarding policy options targeted to incentivize hiring individuals with one nonviolent felony conviction.
Jan 15, 2018
Journal Article
Variation in Cannabis Potency and Prices in a Newly Legal Market: Evidence from 30 Million Cannabis Sales in Washington State
In Washington state, the potency and price of legal cannabis are currently being shaped by the market rather than by policy levers.
Sep 12, 2017
Report
Impact of Proposition 47 on Los Angeles County Operations and Budget
This report recommends how to measure the impact of Proposition 47 (and future legislative mandates) on Los Angeles County operations and budgets and what metrics should be tracked.
Jun 15, 2017
Journal Article
Medical Marijuana and Marijuana Legalization
State actions to relax marijuana policies vary substantially, making it difficult to compare policies and draw conclusions about user and market reactions.
May 31, 2017