Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA.
Health Econ. 2022 Jul;31(7):1513-1521. doi: 10.1002/hec.4519. Epub 2022 Apr 15.
The potential substitution of cannabis for prescription medication has attracted a substantial amount of attention within the context of medical cannabis laws (MCLs). However, much less is known about the association between recreational cannabis laws (RCLs) and prescription drug use. With recent evidence supporting substitution of cannabis for prescription drugs following MCLs, it is reasonable to ask what effect RCLs may have on those outcomes. We use quarterly data for all Medicaid prescriptions from 2011 to 2019 to investigate the effect of state-level RCLs on prescription drug utilization. We estimate this effect with a series of two-way fixed effects event study models. We find significant reductions in the volume of prescriptions within the drug classes that align with the medical indications for pain, depression, anxiety, sleep, psychosis, and seizures. Our results suggest substitution away from prescription drugs and potential cost savings for state Medicaid programs.
在医用大麻法规（MCL）的背景下，大麻替代处方药物的潜力引起了广泛关注。然而，关于娱乐用大麻法规（RCL）与处方药使用之间的关联，人们知之甚少。鉴于最近有证据表明，在 MCL 之后，大麻可能会替代处方药物，因此有理由询问 RCL 可能对这些结果产生什么影响。我们使用了 2011 年至 2019 年所有医疗补助计划的处方药季度数据，来调查州级 RCL 对处方药使用的影响。我们使用一系列双向固定效应事件研究模型来估计这种影响。我们发现，与疼痛、抑郁、焦虑、睡眠、精神错乱和癫痫等医学适应症相符的药物类别中的处方数量显著减少。我们的研究结果表明，处方药物的替代以及州医疗补助计划的潜在成本节约。
