Living farther from cannabis dispensaries was weakly linked to more favorable views of medical cannabis
Among 935 respondents, a weak correlation existed between greater distance from dispensaries and more positive medical cannabis attitudes, with gender and state legal status as the strongest attitudinal predictors.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Weak positive correlation between distance from dispensary and favorable MC attitudes; dispensary density did not significantly impact attitudes; gender (p=0.004), age (p=0.048), and state legal status (p<0.001) were significant predictors in regression.
Key Numbers
935 respondents; 743 in no-dispensary zip codes, 160 moderate-density, 32 high-density; weak correlation r=0.090; model R2=0.025; gender and state legal status most significant.
How They Did This
Online survey (2021-2022); 935 respondents; MCAS scores correlated with dispensary proximity and density using zip code data; Spearman correlation, ANOVA, and GLS regression.
Why This Research Matters
As dispensaries proliferate, understanding whether proximity normalizes or stigmatizes medical cannabis can inform zoning and public health policy.
The Bigger Picture
The very weak relationship between proximity and attitudes suggests that cannabis attitudes are shaped more by demographics and policy than by physical exposure to dispensaries.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Weak effects (R2=0.025); cross-sectional; self-selected survey sample; unbalanced group sizes; dispensary density measure may not capture actual exposure.
Questions This Raises
- ?Does familiarity with dispensaries breed contempt or comfort?
- ?Would longitudinal data show attitude shifts as dispensaries open in new areas?
- ?Do dispensary characteristics matter more than mere proximity?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Gender and state legal status predicted medical cannabis attitudes more than dispensary proximity
- Evidence Grade:
- Structured survey with geographic data, but very weak effects and cross-sectional design limit practical significance.
- Study Age:
- Published 2025, data from 2021-2022
- Original Title:
- Relationship Between Cannabis Dispensary Density, Proximity, and Attitudes Toward Medical Cannabis: A Cross-Sectional Study.
- Published In:
- Health science reports, 8(4), e70685 (2025)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-06238
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does living near a dispensary change how you feel about medical cannabis?
Only slightly. The correlation between distance and attitudes was very weak. Gender and state legal status were much stronger predictors of medical cannabis attitudes.
Did dispensary density matter?
No. The number of dispensaries in a zip code did not significantly affect attitudes toward medical cannabis.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-06238APA
Clobes, Thomas A; Himebaugh, Sean; Gamez, Sandra Aguilar; Torres, Mariza. (2025). Relationship Between Cannabis Dispensary Density, Proximity, and Attitudes Toward Medical Cannabis: A Cross-Sectional Study.. Health science reports, 8(4), e70685. https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.70685
MLA
Clobes, Thomas A, et al. "Relationship Between Cannabis Dispensary Density, Proximity, and Attitudes Toward Medical Cannabis: A Cross-Sectional Study.." Health science reports, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.70685
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Relationship Between Cannabis Dispensary Density, Proximity,..." RTHC-06238. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/clobes-2025-relationship-between-cannabis-dispensary
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.