Where do adults in the United States obtain cannabis? A nationally representative study examining the relationships between sociodemographic factors, cannabis use characteristics and sources of cannabis (2024)

OBJECTIVE: Characterization of population subgroups based on where they acquire cannabis is unexplored. We examine relationships between sociodemographic characteristics, cannabis use modality, risky cannabis use, and source of cannabis.
METHOD: Analyzing a representative sample (unweighted n = 8,089) of U.S. adults living in medical cannabis-permitting states with past-year cannabis use from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, we determined source of last cannabis used. Outcome groups were purchased from a dispensary, purchased from another source, or nonpurchased source. Incorporating the complex survey design, descriptive statistics and adjusted multinomial logistic regressions evaluated associations between sociodemographic, individual cannabis use characteristics, and source of cannabis. Secondary analyses described cannabis purchasing characteristics among the subsample who last purchased cannabis.
RESULTS: Purchasing from a dispensary was the most common source of cannabis (42.5%). Significant relationships between sociodemographic characteristics, cannabis use modality, risky cannabis use, and source of cannabis were found. Recent cannabis initiates and those with cannabis vaporizer use had an increased likelihood of purchasing cannabis from a dispensary. Purchasing from a nondispensary source was most likely among those with daily cannabis use, past-month blunt use, past-year driving under the influence, cannabis use disorder, and cannabis and alcohol co-use. Among those purchasing cannabis, joints and other forms of cannabis were more likely to be purchased from a dispensary than purchased from other sources.
CONCLUSIONS: We identified key sociodemographic and cannabis use characteristics that may influence where individuals obtain cannabis, which are important for cannabis behavior surveillance and cannabis use prevention and intervention strategies to consider. [Author's abstract]