State Medical Marijuana Laws: Understanding the Laws and their Limitations Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, PhD Jamie F. Chriqui, PhD, MHS Deborah A. Reichmann, JD, MPH Yvonne M. Terry-McElrath, MSA October 2001 Research Paper Series, No. 13 ImpacTeen is part of the Bridging the Gap Initiative: Research Informing Practice for Healthy Youth Behavior, supported by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and administered by the University of Illinois at Chicago. State Medical Marijuana Laws: Understanding the Laws and their Limitations Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, Ph.D., RAND Corporation and National Bureau of Economic Research Jamie F. Chriqui, Ph.D., M.H.S., The MayaTech Corporation Deborah A. Reichmann, J.D., M.P.H., The MayaTech Corporation Yvonne M. Terry-McElrath, M.S.A., University of Michigan * Corresponding author: Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, RAND Corporation, 1700 Main St., PO Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138. Ph: 310-393-0411 ext. 6494. Fax: 310-451-6930. Email:
[email protected]. Acknowledgements The authors' time on this paper was supported by subcontracts under a grant from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to the University of Illinois at Chicago, as part of The Foundation’s Bridging the Gap Initiative. The views expressed in this research paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The authors would like to thank Frank Chaloupka, Duane McBride and Curt VanderWaal for their input on this report. State Medical Marijuana Laws: Understanding the Laws and their Limitations Abstract Since the 1970s, numerous states have had medical marijuana laws. However, public policy makers, activists and the media have given significant attention to the debate regarding allowances for medical marijuana use since the 1996 California and Arizona ballot initiatives.