Reports and Articles: Markets and Supply

Below are the most recent reports and articles from the RAND Drug Policy Research Center. Please visit our RAND Topics pages for a complete research archive on these and other drug policy-related research topics.

RAND Topic Pages: Drug Markets and Supply

2018

• Do Medical Marijuana Laws Reduce Addictions and Deaths Related to Pain Killers? 2018

  David Powell, Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, Mireille Jacobson

  States that provide legal access to marijuana through dispensaries experience lower treatment admissions for addiction to pain medication.

• Marijuana Buyers in the United States, 2010–2014 2018

  Alejandro Azofeifa, Laura J. Sherman, Margaret E. Mattson, Rosalie Liccardo Pacula

  Approximately 18.5 million Americans aged 12 or older reported buying marijuana in the past year; they were more likely to be male, report using marijuana for a greater number of days, and report dependence on marijuana.

• A Supply-Side Perspective on the Opioid Crisis 2018

  Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, David Powell

  In dealing with the opioid crisis, supply-side policies that consider the full market (both prescription opioids as well as heroin and fentanyl), if coupled with effective treatment, are likely to be the most effective.

2017

• Advancing Knowledge on Cannabis Policy Using Evidence from North America 2017

  Alex Stevens, Rosalie Liccardo Pacula

  The production and dissemination of sound evidence is a vital part of policy reform regarding the legalization of marijuana.

• Early Impacts of Marijuana Legalization: An Evaluation of Prices in Colorado and Washington 2017

  Priscillia Hunt, Rosalie Liccardo Pacula

  Analysis of marijuana price data in Colorado and Washington suggests that short-term evaluations of legalization's effects on marijuana consumption are not necessarily indicative of long-term effects.

• Exploring the Perils of Cross-national Comparisons of Drug Prevalence: The Effect of Survey Modality 2017

  Luca Giommoni, Peter H. Reuter, Beau Kilmer

  The methods of contacting respondents and the technology for questioning respondents in household surveys complicate cross-country comparisons of drug prevalence.

• Medical Marijuana and Marijuana Legalization 2017

  Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, Rosanna Smart

  State actions to relax marijuana policies vary substantially, making it difficult to compare policies and draw conclusions about user and market reactions.

• Supply-Side Drug Policy in the Presence of Substitutes: Evidence from the Introduction of Abuse-Deterrent Opioids 2018

  Abby Alpert, David Powell, Rosalie Liccardo Pacula

  Results suggest that a substantial share of the dramatic increase in heroin deaths since 2010 can be attributed to the reformulation of OxyContin.

• Understanding and Learning from the Diversification of Cannabis Supply Laws 2017

  Beau Kilmer, Rosalie Liccardo Pacula

  Prohibitions on producing, distributing, and selling cannabis are loosening in various jurisdictions around the world, but the evidence base for assessing changes in cannabis supply laws remains weak..

• Variation in Cannabis Potency and Prices in a Newly Legal Market: Evidence from 30 Million Cannabis Sales in Washington State 2017

  Rosanna Smart, Jonathan P. Caulkins, Beau Kilmer, Steven Davenport, Greg Midgette

  In Washington state, the potency and price of legal cannabis are currently being shaped by the market rather than by policy levers.