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The Effect of Medical Marijuana Laws on Body Weight
Author(s) -
Sabia Joseph J.,
Swigert Jeffrey,
Young Timothy
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
health economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.55
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1099-1050
pISSN - 1057-9230
DOI - 10.1002/hec.3267
Subject(s) - obesity , behavioral risk , enforcement , recreation , alcohol consumption , consumption (sociology) , law enforcement , law , demography , environmental health , medicine , alcohol , sociology , political science , biology , social science , population , biochemistry
Abstract This study is the first to examine the effects of medical marijuana laws (MMLs) on body weight, physical wellness, and exercise. Using data from the 1990 to 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and a difference‐in‐difference approach, we find that the enforcement of MMLs is associated with a 2% to 6% decline in the probability of obesity. We find some evidence of age‐specific heterogeneity in mechanisms. For older individuals, MML‐induced increases in physical mobility may be a relatively important channel, while for younger individuals, a reduction in consumption of alcohol, a substitute for marijuana, appears more important. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that MMLs may be more likely to induce marijuana use for health‐related reasons among older individuals, and cause substitution toward lower‐calorie recreational ‘highs’ among younger individuals. Our estimates suggest that MMLs induce a $58 to $115 per‐person annual reduction in obesity‐related medical costs. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.