How California's local cannabis rules affect alcohol and marijuana co-use among White and Hispanic adults
Official title: Post-Legalization Regulatory Policies, Alcohol and Cannabis Co-Use, and its Consequences among Whites and Hispanics in California
Funded at Pacific Institute for Res and Evaluation · NIH-11243508 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how differences in local marijuana laws and retail availability across California relate to drinking, combined alcohol-marijuana use, and related harms among White and Hispanic adults ages 21 and older.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Pacific Institute for Res and Evaluation NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Beltsville, United States) |
| Project start | September 29, 1983 |
| Project end | November 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $252,704 |
| NIH project number | 5P60AA006282-44 |
| Project ID | NIH-11243508 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are California residents aged 21 or older, especially White or Hispanic adults who currently use alcohol and/or cannabis or have in the past year.
✕Less likely to help
People under 21, residents outside California, or those who never use alcohol or cannabis are unlikely to benefit directly from participating.
What this research studies
If you live in California and are 21 or older, researchers will follow people over time using surveys to learn about alcohol use, marijuana use, and when people use both at the same time. The team will link participants' reports to local policies, retail availability, and measures of the illegal market to see how those community factors relate to use and problems. The project focuses on White and Hispanic adults and tracks changes across communities and years. Survey data and statistical comparisons across different local policy environments will be used to spot patterns in co-use and harms.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Findings could help communities shape local rules to reduce harmful drinking and risky combined alcohol-marijuana use.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research shows alcohol and cannabis co-use is linked to higher rates of problems, but connecting those harms to local policy differences over time is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Pacific Institute for Res and Evaluation
Beltsville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Caetano, Raul — Pacific Institute for Res and Evaluation
- Study coordinator: Caetano, Raul
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.