Unintentional Pediatric Marijuana Exposures Prior to and After Legalization and Commercial Availability of Recreational Marijuana in Washington State

Objective: Whereas states continue to experiment with liberalized marijuana laws, how these laws impact health, education, and social factors is not yet fully understood. In this study, we examined whether chronic school absenteeism rates changed in Washington State in the presence of recreational marijuana dispensaries pursuant to implementation of the state’s recreational marijuana laws. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis using school district chronic absenteeism rates before and after the presence of recreational dispensaries. Results: The results of the independent samples t-test showed no statistically significant difference in chronic absenteeism rates among districts with or without recreational marijuana dispensaries. Conclusions: The finding of no statistical significance for chronic absenteeism in districts with and without recreational dispensaries – a pattern that largely persisted among at-risk groups – supports that the presence of recreational marijuana dispensaries seems neither to exacerbate nor improve chronic school absenteeism rates. This finding is important for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers trying to understand the changing marijuana legal landscape.

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Recreational Marijuana Legalization and Its Impact on Newborn Birth Weight in Washington State: A Retrospective Study

Annals of Epidemiology ◽

10.1016/j.annepidem.2018.06.051 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 28 (9) ◽

pp. 668 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Heather L. Straub ◽

Jin Mou ◽

Kathryn J. Drennan ◽

Bethann M. Pflugeisen

Keyword(s):

Retrospective Study ◽

Birth Weight ◽

Washington State ◽

Marijuana Legalization ◽

Recreational Marijuana

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Recreational marijuana legalization in Washington State

Legalizing Cannabis ◽

10.4324/9780429427794-5 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 62-88

Author(s):

Clayton Mosher ◽

Scott Akins

Keyword(s):

Washington State ◽

Marijuana Legalization ◽

Recreational Marijuana

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Maternal Marijuana Exposure and Birth Weight: An Observational Study Surrounding Recreational Marijuana Legalization

American Journal of Perinatology ◽

10.1055/s-0039-1694793 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 38 (01) ◽

pp. 065-075 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Heather L. Straub ◽

Jin Mou ◽

Kathryn J. Drennan ◽

Bethann M. Pflugeisen

Keyword(s):

Birth Weight ◽

Washington State ◽

Urine Drug Screen ◽

Multivariate Models ◽

Marijuana Legalization ◽

Urine Drug ◽

Recreational Marijuana ◽

Good Samaritan Hospital ◽

Infant Birth ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Objective This study aimed to study the relationship between prenatal marijuana and infant birth weight using natural cohorts established before, during and after the 20-month lapse between legalization and legal recreational sales in Washington State. Study Design Over 5 years, 5,343 pregnant women with documented urine drug screen (UDS) results delivered at Tacoma General Hospital or Good Samaritan Hospital. Maternal medical data were extracted for three delivery cohorts established based on before (T1), during (T2), and after legalization (T3) of recreational marijuana and legalized availability. Univariate and multivariate models were created to study marijuana exposure on infants' birth weight. Results Marijuana exposure increased the risk of low birth weight (LBW; odds ratio [OR] = 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01–2.01). This was more pronounced in full-term babies (OR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.10–2.69), and was independently associated with a higher risk for small for gestational age (SGA; OR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.49–1.53). The associations between marijuana exposure and SGA were maintained in cohort-specific models (OR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.01–2.32 for T2, and OR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.01–2.02 for T3, respectively). Conclusion Marijuana exposure verified by UDS was associated with LBW and SGA. However, recreational marijuana legalization and availability did not have direct impact on newborns' risk of LBW or SGA.

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The Spillover Effect of Recreational Marijuana Legalization on Crime: Evidence From Neighboring States of Colorado and Washington State

Journal of Drug Issues ◽

10.1177/0022042620921359 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 50 (4) ◽

pp. 392-409 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Guangzhen Wu ◽

Francis D. Boateng ◽

Xiaodong Lang

Keyword(s):

Spillover Effect ◽

Property Crime ◽

Washington State ◽

Special Focus ◽

Difference In Differences ◽

Ongoing Debate ◽

Marijuana Legalization ◽

Crime Type ◽

Recreational Marijuana ◽

Reduction Effect

An ongoing debate exists about the implications of recreational marijuana legalization to public safety. One important public concern is how recreational marijuana legalization may affect crime in neighboring states that have not legalized. Based on Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data from 2003 to 2017, this study used difference-in-differences (DID) analysis to examine the potential spillover effect of recreational marijuana legalization in Colorado and Washington State, with a special focus on the examination of the changes in the rates of a variety of crimes in the border counties of neighboring states relative to the nonborder counties in these states following Colorado’s and Washington’s legalization. Results provide some evidence suggesting a spillover crime reduction effect of legalization, as reflected by the significant decreases in the rates of property crime, larceny, and simple assault in the Colorado region that includes six neighboring states. Results also suggest that the effects of marijuana legalization on crime in neighboring states vary based on crime type and state.

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