Assessing Cannabis Demand: A Comprehensive Review of the Marijuana Purchase Task

Aston, Elizabeth R.; Meshesha, Lidia Z.

doi:10.1007/s13311-019-00819-z

Cited by 27 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 37 publications

(56 reference statements)

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“…The prices and units of cannabis included varied from puffs to whole joints or grams of cannabis. Instructional vignettes and choice parameters used to describe the purchase decision varies greatly across studies which can impact demand (Aston and Meshesha, 2020 ). Finally, included studies used a variety of different demand equations; therefore, comparison of demand predictors cannot be compared directly to one another.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Price elasticity of demand (Gilroy et al, 2020 ) represents the degree to which demand for cannabis changes as price fluctuates. A common method to examine price elasticity has been the marijuana-purchase task (MPT) (Aston and Meshesha, 2020 ). The MPT is a simulated purchase scenario which evaluates consumers’ demand for cannabis in relation to a change in price (e.g., from free to $10 over 20 increments).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Characteristics that influence purchase choice for cannabis products: a systematic review

et al. 2022

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Introduction When non-medical cannabis use became legal, government regulators implemented policies to encourage safer consumption through access to a regulated market. While this market is growing, sales still occur through unregulated channels. This systematic review identifies factors influencing cannabis purchasing to help policymakers understand why consumers still purchase illicit market cannabis (registered with PROSPERO CRD42020176079). Methods A comprehensive search strategy included databases in health, business, and social science fields (inception to June 2020). Studies were eligible for inclusion if they were conducted with persons who purchase cannabis and examine at least one attribute that would influence purchase choice and were published in the English language. Studies could be of any methodological design. Two independent reviewers completed two levels of screening, and all extraction was verified by a second reviewer. A qualitative synthesis of the findings was completed. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Results Of the 4839 citations screened, 96 were eligible for full-text review and 35 were included in the final synthesis. Aspects of price were the most common factors (27 studies). Twenty studies measured price elasticity; most studies found that demand was price inelastic. Many other attributes were identified (e.g., product quality, route of administration, product recommendations, packaging), but none were explored in depth. Eleven studies addressed aspects of product quality including demand elasticity based on quality, potency, and aroma. Studies also explored consumer-perceived “quality” but provided no definition; differences in quality appeared to impact consumer choice. Smoking cannabis appeared to be the preferred route of administration but was only examined in three studies. There was insufficient data to understand in the impact of other attributes on choice. There appeared to be preference heterogeneity for different attributes based on the consumer’s experience, reason for use, and gender. Conclusion While price influences choices, demand is relatively inelastic. This suggests that consumers may be seeking lowest-cost, unregulated cannabis to avoid reducing consumption. Beyond price, there is a significant gap in our understanding of consumer choices. Perceived quality does appear to impact choice; however, more research is needed due to the lack of a recognized definition for cannabis quality.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characteristics that influence purchase choice for cannabis products: a systematic review

et al. 2022

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“…A hypothetical cannabis purchasing task was used to evaluate potential differences in the relative perceived demand for indica and sativa cannabis. Demand curve analysis, which can be applied to hypothetical purchasing task responses, provides a multidimensional assessment of drug demand (Bickel et al, 2014; Johnson & Bickel, 2006; Strickland et al, 2020) and has been validated and applied widely in research on cannabis use behaviors (Aston & Meshesha, 2020). Participants read a brief set of instructions that asked them to imagine a typical week when they would use cannabis and to consider the following: The cannabis was of their normal quality; they could not get cannabis elsewhere; they could not use cannabis saved from previous use episodes; they could not spend more money than they actually had; they would consume all of the purchased cannabis in the next week; and they should consider each price individually.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use patterns, beliefs, experiences, and behavioral economic demand of indica and sativa cannabis: A cross-sectional survey of cannabis users.

Sholler¹,

Moran²,

Dolan³

et al. 2022

Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology

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Cannabis products available for retail purchase are often marketed based on purported plant species (e.g., "indica" or "sativa"). The cannabis industry frequently claims that indica versus sativa cannabis elicits unique effects and/or is useful for different therapeutic indications. Few studies have evaluated use patterns, beliefs, subjective experiences, and situations in which individuals use indica versus sativa. A convenience sample of cannabis users (n = 179) was surveyed via Amazon Mechanical Turk (mTurk). Participants were asked about their prior use of, subjective experiences with, and opinions on indica versus sativa cannabis and completed hypothetical purchasing tasks for both cannabis subtypes. Participants reported a greater preference to use indica in the evening and sativa in the morning and afternoon. Participants were more likely to perceive feeling "sleepy/ tired" or "relaxed" after using indica and "alert," "energized," and "motivated" after using sativa. Respondents were more likely to endorse wanting to use indica if they were going to sleep soon but more likely to use sativa at a party. Hypothetical purchasing patterns (i.e., grams of cannabis purchased as a function of escalating price) did not differ between indica and sativa, suggesting that demand was similar. Taken together, cannabis users retrospectively report feeling different effects from indica and sativa; however, demand generally did not differ between cannabis subtypes, suggesting situational factors could influence whether someone uses indica or sativa. Placebo-controlled, blinded studies are needed to characterize the pharmacodynamics and chemical composition of indica and sativa cannabis and to determine whether user expectancies contribute to differences in perceived indica/sativa effects. Public Health SignificanceCannabis users retrospectively reported feeling different effects from indica versus sativa cannabis; however, demand for the two cannabis subtypes was similar on hypothetical purchasing tasks, suggesting situational factors could influence whether someone uses indica or sativa. Controlled laboratory studies are needed to confirm whether indica and sativa cannabis does indeed elicit different subjective effects and to clarify the role of user expectancies on altering the perceived effects of these two types of cannabis. Taken together, these steps may inform future regulatory decisions regarding cannabis-related marketing nomenclatures like indica and sativa.

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“…While all these factors likely in uence cannabis purchase decisions, limited published research has explored consumer preferences for cannabis products in a post-legalization environment. A systematic review of the literature (Submitted: Under review) to identify attributes of choice for cannabis products identi ed studies that explored consumer preferences or the impact of speci c attributes of choice [19][20][21][22] (e.g. price, packaging, aroma).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drivers of Purchase Decisions for Cannabis Products Among Consumers in a Legalized Market: A Qualitative Study

Donnan

Shogan

Bishop

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Background: Cannabis was legalized in Canada for non-medical use in 2018. The goal of legalization was to improve health and safety by creating access to regulated products, with accurate product labels and warnings and no risk of contamination. However, more than two years post-legalization, a large proportion of purchases are still suspected to be through unlicensed retailers. This study sought to identify the factors that influenced the purchase decisions of cannabis consumers in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL). Methods: Semi-structured focus groups and interviews were conducted in NL with individuals who were >19 and had purchased cannabis within the last 12 months. All sessions were conducted virtually, audio-recorded, and transcribed. A thematic analysis was conducted, and two members of the research team coded the data using NVivo. A combination of deductive and inductive coding was carried out, themes from the literature were identified, and new themes from the transcripts were discovered. A final coding template of the data was agreed upon by the team through discussion and consensus. Results: A total of 23 individuals (30% female) participated, with 83% coming from urban areas. While all cannabis product types were discussed, the conversation naturally focused on dried leaf products. Participants discussed a variety of considerations when making purchase decisions categorized around five broad themes: 1) price, 2) quality, 3) packaging and warnings, 4) the source of the cannabis, and 5) social influences. The price difference between licensed and un-licensed sources was commonly discussed as a factor that influenced purchase decisions. Product quality characteristics (e.g. size, color, moisture content) and social influences were also considered in purchase decisions. Participants were generally indifferent to packaging and warning labels but expressed concern about the excessive packaging required for regulated products. Conclusion: This study explores the many attributes that influence purchase decisions for dried leaf cannabis. Understanding the drivers of purchase decisions can help inform policy reforms to make regulated cannabis products more appealing to consumers. Further research is needed to measure the effect of each attribute on cannabis purchase decisions.

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Assessing Cannabis Demand: A Comprehensive Review of the Marijuana Purchase Task

Cited by 27 publications

References 37 publications

Characteristics that influence purchase choice for cannabis products: a systematic review

Characteristics that influence purchase choice for cannabis products: a systematic review

Use patterns, beliefs, experiences, and behavioral economic demand of indica and sativa cannabis: A cross-sectional survey of cannabis users.

Drivers of Purchase Decisions for Cannabis Products Among Consumers in a Legalized Market: A Qualitative Study

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