Concentration of Cannabis and Tobacco Retailers in Los Angeles County, California: A Spatial Analysis of Potential Effects on Youth and Ethnic Minorities

Objective: Cannabis and tobacco retailers are believed to cluster in areas with more racial/ethnic minorities, which could account for the disproportionate use of blunts in Black and Hispanic communities. The current study examined the spatial relationship be-tween cannabis and licensed tobacco retailers in Los Angeles County, California, and assessed whether various neighborhood and business factors influenced the spatial patterning. Method: Generalized additive models were used to test the association between the location of canna-bis retailers (N = 429) and their accessibility potential (AP) to tobacco retailers (N = 8,033). The covariates included cannabis licensure status, median household income, population density, percentages of racial/ ethnic minorities and young adults (18-34), unemployment status, families living in poverty, minimum completion of high school/General Educational Development (GED) credential, and industrial businesses by census tract. Results: The location of cannabis retailers was significantly associated with AP in all adjusted models (p < .005). The percentage of racial/ethnic minorities, age (18-34 years), and nonlicensure of cannabis retailers, which were positively correlated with AP (p < .05), confounded the association between AP and cannabis retailer location. Conclusions: The concentration of unlicensed cannabis retailers and tobacco retailers in young and racially/ethnically diverse neighborhoods may increase access to and use of cigarillos for blunt smoking. Jurisdictions within Los Angeles County should consider passing ordinances requiring mini-mum distances between cannabis and tobacco retailers. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 83, 502-511, 2022)