April 2024 saw Germany joining a growing list of countries which have taken major steps towards the legalization of marijuana. In this video, MICHELLE SOVINSKY considers the extent to which taxation policy can be employed to limit young people’s use of legalized marijuana. Sovinsky explains that marijuana tends not to be used in isolation by young people, but rather in combination with alcohol and cigarettes. Noting that this has not happened in any of the jurisdictions that have legalized marijuana, Sovinsky’s research shows that tax increases on alcohol and cigarettes would be likely to effectively limit young people’s use of marijuana. Further research will explore the impact of marijuana legalization on other products, including opioids.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21036/LTPUB101179

Researcher

Michelle Sovinsky is a Professor of Economics at the University of Mannheim. She also holds research positions at institutions including the Center for Economic Policy Research, the University of Chicago’s Becker Friedman Institute and the German Industrial Economics Society. Having completed her PhD (2022) and MA (1998) at the University of Virginia, Sovinsky has previously worked at the University of Southern California, the University of Amsterdam and the University of Zurich. Sovinsky’s research applies game theoretic modeling and empirical research to policy issues in industrial organization and applied health. Her work reaches a broad as well as a specialist audience, regularly featuring in publications like the Chicago Sun Times, the Guardian and the Economist.

Institution

University of Mannheim (Universität Mannheim)

For generations, the University of Mannheim has been preparing students to take on leadership roles in business, academia, and society. One of the university’s strengths in this task is its profile, which is characterized by the economic and social sciences. It is in these fields that the University of Mannheim has repeatedly been ranked as one of the top 20 European research institutions. Key focuses of Mannheim researchers include decision-making processes and elections, governance, regulation, competition and innovation, migration and multilingualism, and the culture of change. The campus surrounding Mannheim’s baroque palace is a place where bright minds from across the globe come together to learn, discuss, research, and prepare to make their mark on the world.
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Original publication

More than Joints: Multi-Substance Use, Choice Limitations, and Policy Implications

M. Sovinsky, L. Jacobi, A. Allocca and T. Sun
Collaborative Research Center Transregio 224 Discussion Paper
Published in 2024