Citation

Unger JB. Am. J. Public Health 2022; 112(11): 1532-1534.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, American Public Health Association)

DOI

10.2105/AJPH.2022.307102

PMID

36223589

Abstract

Matthay et al. (p. 1640) compared cannabis control policies in 241 California jurisdictions and found that jurisdictions which lacked comprehensive bans on cannabis retail outlets had higher proportions of residents who had low education, lived in poverty, and were Black or Latinx individuals. Consequently, cannabis retailers tend to cluster in these socially and economically disadvantaged areas.1 Alcohol and tobacco retailers also tend to be concentrated in areas with low socioeconomic status.2 The concentration of licensed cannabis retailers in economically disadvantaged areas could create or exacerbate health disparities if these communities disproportionately bear the burden of the negative consequences of cannabis use, such as increased cannabis availability to youths, driving under the influence of cannabis, car crashes,3 cannabis-associated emergency room visits,4 and accidental ingestion of edibles by children.5 In addition, disadvantaged neighborhoods might lack the resources to enforce policies on cannabis licensing, sales to minors, and public use. Poor enforcement could facilitate sales to minors, sales of incorrectly labeled products or products without childproof packaging, and crime. As Matthay et al. stated, this could result in a "not in my backyard" situation, in which Californians statewide can benefit from the positive aspects of cannabis in nearby cities, but the burden of the negative aspects of cannabis falls completely on economically underresourced communities. This analysis highlights some additional issues that should be considered in decisions about the regulation of cannabis retailers...

Language: en