Medical cannabis dispensary availability improved self-reported mental health among older adults in New York
Researchers examined how the availability of medical cannabis dispensaries affected self-reported mental health in New York between 2011 and 2021. Using geographic data and survey responses, the study found that medical cannabis dispensary availability was associated with a 3.77 percentage point decrease in the likelihood that adults age 65 and older reported poor mental health days in the past month, representing a reduction of nearly 15%.
The study also found no evidence that medical cannabis dispensary availability had negative effects on self-reported mental health among the adult population overall.
Read the full Economics Letters study by Coleman Drake et al. by clicking here.