New Dataset Captures How Differently Each US State Regulates Cannabis
Researchers created a comprehensive dataset categorizing all 50 US states' cannabis policies from 1994 to 2023 into three dimensions: pharmaceutical, permissive, and fiscal, revealing that legalization is far more nuanced than a simple yes-or-no.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Using 36 dichotomous policy indicators, factor analysis confirmed three distinct policy dimensions across US states: pharmaceutical (medical access rules), permissive (recreational and personal use rules), and fiscal (taxation and revenue structures). Scores range from 0 to 100 for each dimension, capturing both between-state variation and within-state changes over time.
Key Numbers
50 states tracked; 1994-2023 time span; 36 policy indicators; 3 policy bundles (pharmaceutical, permissive, fiscal); 12 policies per bundle; scores scaled 0-100
How They Did This
Policy dataset construction covering all 50 states from 1994-2023. 36 binary policy indicators grouped into three bundles of 12 policies each via factor analysis. Scores transformed to 0-100 scale. Two datasets produced: raw indicators and composite bundle scores.
Why This Research Matters
Most cannabis research treats legalization as binary (legal or not), which misses enormous variation in how states actually regulate cannabis. This dataset lets researchers study whether specific policy designs -- not just legalization itself -- affect health, crime, and social outcomes.
The Bigger Picture
This is a research infrastructure contribution. By capturing policy nuance, it should improve the quality of future studies examining what happens after states legalize cannabis -- moving beyond "did they legalize?" to "how did they legalize?"
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Policy indicators are dichotomous (yes/no), which may miss gradations within individual policies. Annual snapshots may miss mid-year policy changes. Does not capture enforcement variation or local/municipal policies.
Questions This Raises
- ?Which policy bundle configuration is associated with the best public health outcomes?
- ?Do pharmaceutical, permissive, and fiscal dimensions evolve independently or together?
- ?How do municipal-level policies interact with state-level bundles?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 36 policy indicators across 50 states, 1994-2023
- Evidence Grade:
- Well-constructed research dataset with factor analysis validation, though the utility depends on how future studies use it.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2025 covering data through 2023.
- Original Title:
- US State Cannabis Policy Bundles Dataset.
- Published In:
- Scientific data, 12(1), 971 (2025)
- Authors:
- Richardson, Lilliard E(4), Mallinson, Daniel J(5), Altaf, Shazib(3), Neeley, Grant
- Database ID:
- RTHC-07490
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
What are the three policy bundles?
Pharmaceutical covers medical access rules, permissive covers recreational and personal use regulations, and fiscal covers taxation and revenue structures. Each state gets a score of 0-100 on each dimension.
Why does this matter for cannabis research?
Most studies compare "legal" vs "illegal" states, but two states can both have legal cannabis with very different rules. This dataset captures those differences, which likely affect health and social outcomes.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-07490APA
Richardson, Lilliard E; Mallinson, Daniel J; Altaf, Shazib; Neeley, Grant. (2025). US State Cannabis Policy Bundles Dataset.. Scientific data, 12(1), 971. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-05284-2
MLA
Richardson, Lilliard E, et al. "US State Cannabis Policy Bundles Dataset.." Scientific data, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-05284-2
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "US State Cannabis Policy Bundles Dataset." RTHC-07490. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/richardson-2025-us-state-cannabis-policy
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.