You may have wondered what the impact of cannabis legalization would be on the illicit market and the drugs accessed there. Well, a recent study found that one of the implications involves impacting the prices in the unlicensed cannabis market as well as the illicit pharmaceutical market. A recent study found that the legalization of cannabis drives up the price of illicit drugs in the illegal market while reducing the prices in the unlicensed cannabis market. This Study Discovered How Cannabis Legalization Increased Prices of Illicit Drugs This 2021 study published in the Wiley Online Library found that the “street price of cannabis decreased” which was accompanied by a 93% “reduction in law enforcement seizures of cannabis” in states where cannabis has been legalized. However, the same study found that prices“among illegal opioids, including heroin, oxycodone, and hydrocodone, street prices increased”. The study reported that among cannabis bought from unregulated markets, there was a 9.2% decrease in illicit cannabis prices and an 18.5% decrease in low-quality cannabis prices. In terms of recreational drugs, there was a 64% increase in heroin, a 7.3% increase in oxycodone prices, and a 5.1% increase in hydrocodone.
Posted By, Cannabis Central, 07/22/2021 15:00:00