Relying on results from Pacula et al. (2013), Pacula and Sevigny argue that medical marijuana dispensaries increase the consumption of marijuana, increase the consumption of alcohol, and lead to more alcohol-related traffic fatalities. Below, we will: 1) Argue that the dispensary indicator used by Pacula et al. (2013) is essentially unrelated to whether dispensaries were actually in operation. 2) Briefly evaluate the studies cited by Pacula and Sevigny as providing evidence of complementarily between alcohol and marijuana. 3) Present new evidence on the role of dispensaries using data on emergency department visits and alcohol sales.
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