Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39589792›Full record

ArticleJournal of studies on alcohol and drugs2025

Cannabis Enforcement Lags Behind Alcohol: A National Study of Law Enforcement Practices in Legal and Nonlegal States.

Natalie Scholz, Kathleen M Lenk, Spruha Joshi, Eileen Delehanty, Darin J Erickson, Traci L Toomey, Rhonda Jones-Webb, Toben F Nelson

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Natalie ScholzDivision of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Kathleen M LenkDivision of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Spruha JoshiDepartment of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Eileen DelehantyDivision of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Darin J EricksonDivision of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Traci L ToomeyDivision of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Rhonda Jones-WebbDivision of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Toben F NelsonDivision of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Funding

The Effects of Changes in Local Alcohol Policies and Enforcement on Alcohol Use and Impaired DrivingR01AA026610 · NIAAA · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · PI NELSON, TOBEN FREDRICK · 2018 to 2022
$2.8M
NIAAA NIH HHS R01 AA026610
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveAs the legalization of adult-use cannabis has expanded to include almost half of the states in the United States, substance use-related enforcement responsibilities for state and local law enforcement agencies may have changed. We assessed the use of cannabis and alcohol enforcement strategies at local and state levels and in legal and nonlegal cannabis states.

methodWe conducted surveys of 1,024 local law enforcement agencies, 53 state alcohol beverage control agencies, and 48 state patrol agencies. We calculated the prevalence of cannabis enforcement strategies and their analogous alcohol strategies and analyzed differences across legal and nonlegal cannabis states. We assessed associations between cannabis enforcement strategies, cannabis legalization status, and agency and jurisdiction characteristics.

resultsCannabis enforcement strategies were less common than their analogous alcohol strategies. The percentage of agencies conducting enforcement of cannabis-impaired driving and public use of cannabis did not differ significantly across agencies in legal and nonlegal states. Agencies in cannabis-legal states (compared with nonlegal states) were more likely to train officers in identifying cannabis impairment among drivers (risk ratio [RR] = 1.23, 95% CI [1.08, 1.42]). Several local agency and jurisdiction characteristics were associated with a higher likelihood of conducting cannabis enforcement, but results were inconsistent across strategies.

conclusionsOur study shows that cannabis enforcement strategies were used less than analogous alcohol strategies in legal and nonlegal jurisdictions, suggesting that increased cannabis enforcement could lead to reductions in public health harms. This study provides a foundation for much-needed research on cannabis and alcohol enforcement during a changing cannabis legalization landscape.

Indexed as

Alcohol DrinkingCannabisDriving Under the InfluenceLaw EnforcementMarijuana UseHumansLegislation, DrugState GovernmentUnited States

Identifiers

PMID39589792
PMCPMC12419514

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.