Patterns of Medical Marijuana Use Among Individuals Sampled from Medical Marijuana Dispensaries in Los Angeles

Abstract

The proliferation of medical marijuana (MM) dispensaries has led to concerns that they will lead to more widespread use of marijuana. The aim of the current study was to collect descriptive data on individuals using MM dispensaries in Los Angeles County. A mixed-method approach was employed that consisted of focus groups with 30 individuals and a survey of dispensary users (N = 182) in Los Angeles County. Differences between younger (less than 30 years old) and older individuals were examined in the survey sample. Most individuals in both samples had initiated marijuana use in adolescence. Nearly one-half of survey respondents had indications of risky alcohol use and one-fifth reported recent use of illicit drugs or misuse of prescription medications. Younger individuals had higher rates of tobacco use, visited dispensaries more frequently, and had more socially embedded patterns of use, but they were similar to older individuals in terms of their reasons for use. Nearly all participants believed that MM was beneficial in treating their health problems, although 65% reported symptoms of psychological distress in the past year. Interventions aimed at MM users should stress the related effects of tobacco and risky alcohol use as well as mental health needs.

Keywords:

• alcohol and drug use
• dispensaries
• focus group
• health status
• medical marijuana
• survery

Notes

1. We note that during the time when this study was conducted there was considerable flux in local city ordinances regarding the operation of MM dispensaries, with concerns among the local dispensary owners that they would be shut down either by the city or the Federal government, which had initiated closures of dispensaries deemed as violating Federal law in Fall 2012.

2. Staff who were working in the dispensaries often asked if they could also complete the survey; we agreed, but do not include their responses in this analysis, given that their patterns of medical marijuana use, particularly related to their use of the dispensaries, differ from that of the consumers.

3. The original Compassionate Use Act passed in California in 1996 was amended in 2003 by SB420, which allowed for the development of “collectives” or “cooperatives” to act as surrogate caregivers on behalf of patients who have a doctor’s recommendation for its use.

4. Subsequent to this study, a local ballot initiative was passed in Los Angeles in 2013 that will impose more restrictive licensing and limitations on the numbers of registered dispensaries within the city.