This study examined whether the distribution of lab tested marijuana edibles in Los Angeles discriminates based on socioeconomic status. The researcher collected data on 100 marijuana dispensaries, including the edible products sold and lab testing. Zip codes containing dispensaries selling lab tested edibles had a higher average annual income than zip codes without. The study found 57% of dispensaries sold lab tested edibles located in higher income zip codes, suggesting lower income areas have less access to lab tested marijuana edibles. Future recommendations include conducting randomized sampling and audits of dispensary edible labeling to reduce potential health disparities.

1. DOES THE EDIBLE MARIJUANA MARKET
DISCRIMINATE? – A LOOK AT THE
DISTRIBUTION OF LAB TESTED
MARIJUANA EDIBLES IN LOS ANGELES
Jared T. Stokes

2. OVERARCHING STUDY
 Study is an extension to Drexel
University’s study of medical
marijuana use in Los Angeles
 Headed by Dr. Stephen Lankenau
 Study Time Frame: 2013-2018
 R01 grant from NIH
 Impact of medical and recreational
usage of marijuana on physical and
psychological well being among
young adults (18 – 26 years old)

3. SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
 California was the first state to
approve marijuana for medical
use in 1996
 Proposition 215 (The
Compassionate Use Act)
 According to the Controlled
Substance Act (CSA),
marijuana, like heroin and
LSD, is classified as a
Schedule 1 controlled
substance(Chapkis & Webb,
2008).
 However, current medical
research presents its usage
as a valuable medical agent
(Wolkowicz, 2012).

4. CURRENT MARIJUANA PRACTICES IN CALIFORNIA
 Los Angeles alone is estimated as having around
500 to 1,000 dispensaries and collectives
 An “interim control ordinance” (ICO) declared a
moratorium on new marijuana dispensaries
 Lab Testing
 Cannabinoid profiling tests for the amount of THC, CBD,
and cannabinol, or CBN, which are all important
cannabinoids found in marijuana contributing to its
therapeutic effects
 Can be used to detect impurities found in marijuana

5. CITY OF LOS ANGELES

7. MARIJUANA EDIBLES
 Wide variety of different products now available to
consumers at medical marijuana dispensaries
 “In addition to the “old school” brownies, marijuana
edibles have widely expanded to include products such
as lozenges, candy, gummy bears, and sweets
(Newman, 2014)”
 Process behind making edibles:
 Cannabinoids must be extracted from the raw marijuana
plant
 Marijuana has to be heated and boiled in fat or liquor in
order for medical effects to be experienced
 “Butters, oils, tinctures, and extracts made from
cannabis infusions are incorporated into edible
products” (Wolkowicz, 2012)

8. MARIJUANA EDIBLES (CONTINUED)

9. INQUIRIES REGARDING DISTRIBUTION
 The “lab tested” label is an adequate predictor of an
edible product’s nutritional value
 “Cannabis that is not safely produced can contain mold
and mildew, harmful bacteria, traces of pesticides or
other chemicals or fail to meet promised levels for
potency (Newsdesk, 2013).”
 The United States currently faces notable
differences in the distribution of healthy foods
based on socioeconomic status

10. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
 “Does the edible marijuana market discriminate?”
 Assumptions
 Low-income neighborhoods may contain less marijuana
edibles that are lab tested
 Reputable lab tested edible marijuana businesses may
focus on marketing to wealthier areas

11. RESOURCE FOR DATA COLLECTION

12. RESOURCE FOR DATA COLLECTION (CONTINUED)
 Dispensaries were located
using weedmaps.com
 An online database
operated by Weedmaps
Media Inc. of Denver,
Colorado
 Provides online resources:
 Email services
 Classified ads
 Forums

13. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
 Unit of Analysis
 Marijuana dispensaries
 Data Collection
 Names of each marijuana dispensary, edibles sold, and
their corresponding addresses were collected and
stored using a word processor
 Data Analysis
 All marijuana dispensaries were numbered from one to
100
 Dispensaries were sorted in a spreadsheet application
according to edible items sold
 Zip codes and demographic data were also utilized

14. EDIBLES COLLECTIVE

15. EDIBLES COLLECTIVE (CONTINUED)

16. 90046 15, 67, 98 74 10 14% 1864 $52,593 38.5 50,546
90048 24, 73 48 6 13% 2198 $75,472 39.2 22,691
90057 10 30 4 13% 681 $27,854 31.2 45,833
90064 36 48 5 10% 2224 $81,240 40 26,637
90065 87 22 1 5% 608 $55,885 36.1 46,054
DISPENSARY DEMOGRAPHICS
Dispensary Characteristics Census Characteristics
Zip Code Dispensaries
Represented
# of Edibles
sold
# of Lab
Tested
Edibles
sold
% of Lab
Tested
Edibles
sold
Number of
Businesses
Avg.
Income Per
Household
Median
Age
Current
Population
90004 11 7 5 71% 1045 $38,430 34.8 63,761
90006 77 10 5 50% 1016 $30,260 32.4 61,607
90008 20 25 11 44% 324 $39,661 39.7 33,696
90011 9, 83 15 6 40% 709 $30,198 26.2 108,213
90013 84 21 8 38% 1222 $17,072 44.6 7,011

17. DISPENSARY DEMOGRAPHICS (CONTINUED)
Zip Code Number of
Businesses
Avg. Income
Per Household
Median Age Current
Population
2010
Population
90003 410 $29,174 26.3 72,022 66,266
90007 912 $22,047 24 40,158 40,920
90012 1260 $26,094 36.3 23,888 31,103
90025 3525 $72,625 34.7 44,981 42,147
90033 526 $28,773 29.2 47,133 48,852
90063 323 $38,801 29 54,377 55,758

18. Mean Median Range Standard
Deviation
Skewness
Number of
Businesses
1054.441176 ~
1054
873.5 ~ 874
Avg. Income Per
Household
$45,179 $39,118 Min: $13,504
Max: $81,240
18368.23306 ~
18,368
0.527587228
Median Age 35.27352941 ~
35
34.6 ~ 35
Current
Population
44,974 45,944
Mean Median Range Standard
Deviation
Skewness
Number of
Businesses
1159.333333 ~
1159
719
Avg. Income Per
Household
$36,252 $28,974 Min: $22,047
Max: $72,625
18657.40091 ~
18,657
2.006988218
Median Age 29.91666667 ~
30
29.1 ~ 29
Current
Population
47,093 46,057
DISPENSARY STATISTICS

19. Lab Tested
Edible
Product
# of Edibles
Sold
# of Lab
Tested Edibles
Sold
Percentage
Cheeba Chews 34 22 65%
Bhang
Chocolates
34 15 44%
Korova 34 7 21%
Molly Rancher 34 7 21%
Casa Luna 34 6 18%
Kiva 34 6 18%
Auntie Dolores 34 4 12%
Tetra Labs 34 4 12%
The Venice
Cookie Co.
34 4 12%
Edipure 34 3 9%
Kush Cake
Pop
34 2 6%
Kind Bake 34 1 3%
Paradise
Candy Co.
34 1 3%
 The most common
edibles observed in all
dispensaries were the
following:
 Brownies
 Lollipops
 Jolly Ranchers
 Chocolate Bars
 Cakes
MEDICAL MARIJUANA EDIBLES

21. RESULTS
 Overall, 57 out of the 100 marijuana dispensaries
carried lab tested marijuana edibles
 The 57 dispensaries containing lab tested edibles were
located in 34 Los Angeles zip codes
 The 43 dispensaries that did not sell lab tested edibles
were located in six Los Angeles zip codes
 Mean annual income of zip codes that contained
dispensaries selling lab tested edibles was the
following: $45,179
 Mean annual income for six zip codes that did not
contain dispensaries selling lab tested edibles:
$36,252

22. RESULTS (CONTINUED)
 A Mann Whitney U Test was used to test
significance of findings
 Assumed 95% confidence
 Z = (U - nAnB/2) ÷ [√(nAnB (nA + nB + 1)/12)]
 A statistically significant Z score of -3.86 was produced

23. DISCUSSION
 Average annual income for zip codes that
contained dispensaries selling lab tested edibles
was higher than for zip codes with dispensaries that
did not sell lab tested edibles
 Zip codes containing dispensaries that did not sell lab
tested edibles were located on the edge of East Los
Angeles (however, there was one outlier)
 Average median age for zip codes that contained
dispensaries selling lab tested edibles was also
higher than zip codes containing dispensaries that
did not sell lab tested edibles:
 35 years old vs. 30 years old

24. LIMITATIONS
 Selection of dispensaries for analysis was not done
randomly
 Cross-sectional Study
 Data was gathered between the months of January and
February, 2014
 Data collection
 Edible items were manually counted
 Dispensaries often misspelled the names of edibles

25. CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE
RECOMMENDATIONS
 Implications
 Patients living in lower income zip codes without lab
tested edibles may be subject higher rates of impurities
compared to higher income zip codes
 If there is truly a difference in the distribution of lab
tested edibles, work must be done to lessen disparities
observed
 Food Audits
 Uniformity among dispensaries when posting
marijuana edibles on weedmaps.com
 More information of food items
 Correct spelling of food items
 Repeat this study with a randomized sample
 Test to see if there are more dispensaries selling lab
tested marijuana edibles in certain zip codes

26. “Drexel University fulfills our founder's vision of
preparing each new generation of students for
productive professional and civic lives while also
focusing our collective expertise on solving society's
greatest problems.”
“Overcome the devils with a thing called love.”
- Bob Marley

27. REFERENCES
 Chapkis, W., & Webb, R. (2008). Dying to get high: Marijuana as
medicine. New York, NY: New York University Press.
 Newman, T. (2014, February 7). [Web log message]. Retrieved
from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tony-newman/edible-
marijuana-safety_b_4748069.html
 Newman, T. (2014, February 7). [Web log message]. Retrieved
from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tony-newman/edible-
marijuana-safety_b_4748069.html
 Newsdesk. (2013). New labs risk dea raids to test medical
marijuana for safety. PBS NewsHour, Retrieved from
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/new-labs-spring-up-to-
test-medical-marijuana-for-safety-and-potency/
 Wolkowicz, A. (2012). Edible marijuana: A new frontier in the
culinary world. Manuscript submitted for publication, Johnson &
Wales University - Providence, Providence, RI. Retrieved from
http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1009&
context=student_scholarship