Use of Cannabis, Alcohol and Tobacco: What Do Online Search Records Reveal?
As cannabis becomes legalized in more states across the U.S., many researchers are trying to measure the outcome of the new laws and cultural practices. In a study upcoming in the INFORMS journal Marketing Science, a team of researchers used internet search data to evaluate the effect of marijuana legalization on both adults and youth. "Asymmetric Effects of Recreational Cannabis Legalization” found that the new laws on cannabis affected searches for alcohol and tobacco differently, and that young people had different search patterns than adults.