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Public opinion on the expenditure of adult-use cannabis tax revenue: Evidence from New Jersey
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Public opinion on the expenditure of adult-use cannabis tax revenue: Evidence from New Jersey

Nathan W. Link, Jordan M. Hyatt and Kathleen Powell
The International journal of drug policy, v 125, 104334
09 Feb 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104334
PMID: 38340482
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104334View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)CC BY V4.0,  Open

Abstract

Cannabis legalization Cannabis revenue Decriminalization Drug enforcement marijuana tax War on drugs
To describe New Jersey residents’ relative priorities for the allocation of tax revenue generated by recreational cannabis sales. We aim to assess preferences for public health initiatives, including drug treatment, compared to a range of alternatives, including traditional policing, especially within the social and demographic groupings of people generally most impacted by punitive drug enforcement policies. We collected population-representative survey data four months post-implementation of recreational cannabis sales in New Jersey (N = 1,006). We gauge respondents’ top preferences for the allocation of new revenue generated by the legal cannabis market. Using multinomial logistic regression, we assess how various demographic and political factors shape public support for devoting revenue toward public health initiatives. While priorities are mixed within the sample, we find more general support for funding community-based initiatives in public health, housing, and education than for funding police, courts, and prisons. Among Black residents, the largest proportion chose investments in affordable housing. Regression analysis reveals political orientation as having the most consistent association with expressed preferences, with Republicans favoring investments in traditional law enforcement priorities over other potential funding domains. Recreational cannabis legalization is occurring at a rapid pace, yet important context, including how the tax revenue could be invested in communities, remains unclear. Insight into current public opinion on funding priorities suggests a desire for investment in fundamental societal institutions, including education and public health, rather than the punitive enforcement mechanisms that have defined cannabis policy for many decades.

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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#3 Good Health and Well-Being

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Substance Abuse
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