Cohn Amy M, Sedani Ami, Niznik Taylor, Alexander Adam, Lowery Bryce, McQuoid Julia, Campbell Janis
Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
TSET Health Promotion Research Center, Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
Cannabis. 2023 Feb 7;6(1):99-113. doi: 10.26828/cannabis/2023.01.008. eCollection 2023.
Cannabis dispensaries have proliferated exponentially in Oklahoma since the state legalized medical cannabis in 2018. Oklahoma is unique from many other legalized states given its high number of lower income, rural, and uninsured residents, who may seek medical cannabis as an alternative to traditional medical treatment.
This study examined demographic and neighborhood characteristics associated with dispensary density (n = 1,046 census tracts) in Oklahoma.
Compared to census tracts with no dispensaries, those with at least one dispensary had a higher proportion of uninsured individuals living below the poverty level and a greater number of hospitals and pharmacies. Almost half (42.35%) of census tracts with at least one dispensary were classified as a rural locale. In fully adjusted models, percent uninsured, percent of household rentals, and the number of schools and pharmacies were positively associated with greater number of cannabis dispensaries, while the number of hospitals was negatively associated. In the best fitting interaction models, dispensaries were predominant in areas with a higher percentage of uninsured residents and no pharmacies, suggesting that cannabis retailers may capitalize on the health needs of communities with limited healthcare outlets or access to medical treatment.
Policies and regulatory actions that seek to decrease disparities in dispensary locations should be considered. Future studies should examine whether people living in communities with a scarcity of health resources are more likely to associate cannabis with medical uses than those living in communities with more resources.
自2018年俄克拉荷马州将医用大麻合法化以来，大麻药房呈指数级增长。俄克拉荷马州与许多其他合法化州不同，因为该州有大量低收入、农村和未参保居民，他们可能会寻求医用大麻作为传统医疗的替代方案。
本研究调查了俄克拉荷马州与药房密度相关的人口统计学和社区特征（n = 1046个人口普查区）。
与没有药房的人口普查区相比，至少有一家药房的普查区生活在贫困线以下的未参保个体比例更高，医院和药房数量更多。至少有一家药房的普查区中，近一半（42.35%）被归类为农村地区。在完全调整模型中，未参保百分比、家庭租赁百分比以及学校和药房数量与大麻药房数量呈正相关，而医院数量呈负相关。在最佳拟合交互模型中，药房在未参保居民比例较高且没有药房的地区占主导地位，这表明大麻零售商可能利用医疗保健机构或医疗服务有限的社区的健康需求。
应考虑旨在减少药房分布差异的政策和监管行动。未来的研究应调查生活在健康资源稀缺社区的人是否比生活在资源更丰富社区的人更有可能将大麻与医疗用途联系起来。
