‘High’ Achievers? Cannabis Access and Academic Performance

Olivier Marie and Ulf Zoelitz
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Ulf Zoelitz: Behavior and Inequality Research Institute (briq)
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Ulf Zölitz

No 16-101/V, Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers from Tinbergen Institute

Abstract: This paper investigates how legal cannabis access affects student performance. Identification comes from an exceptional policy introduced in the city of Maastricht in the Netherlands that discriminated access via licensed cannabis shops based on an individual’s nationality. We apply a difference-in-difference approach using administrative panel data on course grades of local students enrolled at Maastricht University before and during the partial cannabis prohibition. We find that the academic performance of students who are no longer legally permitted to buy cannabis substantially increases. Grade improvements are driven by younger students and the effects are stronger for women and low performers. In line with how cannabis consumption affects cognitive functioning, we find that performance gains are larger for courses that require more numerical/mathematical skills. Our investigation of underlying channels using course evaluations suggests that performance gains are driven by an improved understanding of the material rather than changes in students’ study effort.

Keywords: marijuana; legalization; student performance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I18 I20 K42 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016-11-17
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-law
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https://papers.tinbergen.nl/16101.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: “High” Achievers? Cannabis Access and Academic Performance (2017)
Working Paper: 'High' Achievers? Cannabis Access and Academic Performance (2015)
Working Paper: 'High' Achievers? Cannabis Access and Academic Performance (2015)
Working Paper: 'High' achievers? Cannabis access and academic performance (2015)
Working Paper: 'High' Achievers? Cannabis Access and Academic Performance (2015)
Working Paper: ‘High’ achievers? Cannabis access and academic performance (2015)
Working Paper: 'High' achievers? Cannabis access and academic performance (2015)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:tin:wpaper:20160101

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