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Data SourceJurisdictionTypeDescriptionStrengthsLimitationsGeographic AnalysisPopulationSponsor(s)Cost Range*Notes
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Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)NationalBehavioral SurveyLargest surveillance survey conducted annually by landline/cellphone to monitor and determine prevalence of health-related risk factors, behaviors, and use of prevention services among adultsPrevalence of adult marijuana use and methods
Stratify marijauna use by health related behaviors
Random sampling, weighted responses, stadardized questions		Optional marijuana module
Addition of state-specific marijuana questions may be costly		National, State, CountyIndividuals age 18+ yearsCenters for Disease Control & Prevention16,000-80,000 (avg. 30,000)*does not include cost of analyzing data
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International Cannabis Policy Study (ICPS)InternationalBehavioral SurveyCannabis survey administered online in both U.S. and Canada to monitor cannabis use, attitutes, behaviors, economics, and policiesFlexibility for addition of survey questions to monitor current cannabis-related issues
Assess effectiveness of specific regulatory policies, including advertising restrictions, product labelling and warnings, public education campaigns, and the use of cannabis in public spaces
Monitor patterns of cannabis use and the commercial retail environment, price, and purchasing
Weighted responses, standardized questions		Specific to time and place
Potential small sample size
Online sampling methodology		International, National, StateIndividuals who have used cannabis, age 16-65 yearsUniversity of Waterloo, Canada
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Monitoring the Future (MTF)NationalBehavioral SurveyRepeated survey administered to monitor changes in substance use and attitudes among cohorts of students in school and years after graduationMonitor percentage of lifetime, past year, and past 30-day marijuana use among students
Stratify marijuana use by detailed types of substances
Examine marijuana secular trends & cohort effects
Marijuana use changes linked to graduation transition 		Only applicable to individuals that attend school
Selection by school and not intended to respresent different geographic levels
Not administered in every state
NationalCohort of students in grades 8th, 10th, or 12th grade followed into adulthoodNational Institute on Drug Abuse
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National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)NationalBehavioral SurveyHousehold interview administered across the U.S. to assess health and nutritional status of adults and childrenPrevalence of marijuana use methods in homes with children
Stratify marijuana use by nutritional & health related behaviors
Random sampling, weighted responses, stadardized questions
Estimates represent a household
Weighted to represent U.S. households and not lower geographic analyses		National, Some Regional, Some StateCivilian noninstitutionalized household population of the United StatesCenters for Disease Control & Prevention$35 - 40 million total prog cost**Primary sampling units are counties, and 15 counties are visited per year. Cost per county estimated at 233K - 266K.
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National Survey on Drug Use and Health
(NSDUH)		NationalBehavioral SurveyNational survey conducted annually to collect and monitor substance use and mental health trendsAnnual marijuana estimates available since 1971
Collecting data on age of initiation, lifetime, past year, and past 30-day marijuana use		Fixed survey questionsNational, StateIndividuals age 12+ yearsSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Pregnancy Risk Factor Surveillance System (PRAMS)NationalBehavioral SurveySurveillance survey conducted by mail-in survey or phone interview to monitor attitudes and experiences before, during, and after pregnancyPrevalence of marijuana use before, during, and after pregnancy
Linked to birth certificate data
Random sampling, weighted responses, standardized core questions		Supplemental marijuana module
Not administered in every state
Social reporting bias of marijuana use during pregnancy
Stratification analyses may be suppressed due to small sample sizes

State, Some CountyWomen with a live birthCenters for Disease Control & Prevention$175,000 funding ceiling
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Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System (YRBSS)NationalBehavioral SurveySurveillance survey administered in randomly selected high schools biennially to monitor and determine prevalence of health behaviors among youth Monitor prevalence of marijuana use and methods among youth in schools
Stratify marijauna use by risk and protective factors
Random sampling, weighted responses, stadardized questions		Only applicable to youth that attend school
Not administered in every state		National, State, CountyStudents in grades 9-12 attending U.S. schoolsCenters for Disease Control & Prevention$100,000-$125,000
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Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-Based Epidemics (ESSENCE)NationalHealth Incident DatabaseCollection of health records that can include emergency department visits, reportable disease data, poison control calls, perscription drug data, and school absentee data updated in near real-timeSpatial and temporal case volume surveillance
Syndromic surveillance of adverse events related to cannabis
Literal word search across multiple data sources for cannabis 		Underestimation of cannabis-related health outcomes
Quality and completeness of cannabis vary by facility, time, and jurisdiction		State, CountyVariesCenters for Disease Control & PreventionVaries widely from state to state, difficult to pinpoint cost.
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Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS)NationalHealth Incident DatabaseMotor vehicle traffic crashes that resulted in fatal injuriesMonitor rate of fatal motor vehicle injuries with cannabis presentPresence of a cannabis does not indicate cause
Toxicology testing requirements vary by jurisdiction		National, State, CountyIndividuals with fatal motor vehicle injuriesNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS)NationalRegistryPatient care records from Emergency Medical Services (EMS) calls, including 9-1-1 calls voluntarily submitted EMS data collected in a standardized way
Examine rate of EMS services with a cannabis code		Designed for EMS needs and performance assessment
State-level datasets may not represent all EMS records in state
National, State, CountyIndividuals that sought emergency medical assistance by calling 9-1-1 or who were transported via emergency vehicleNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration30K - 100K+
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National Poison Data System (NPDS)NationalHealth Incident DatabaseCalls made to nation's poison centers to seek medical advice or report an adverse event maintained in near real timeCase based alerts for adverse events due to specific cannabis products
Examine reported cannabis exposures by product type, clinical effects, health outcomes, and routes
Spatial and temporal case volume surveillance
IBM Micromedex System coding system used to code calls by specific products
Self-reported calls leads to underestimation of cannabis exposures
Clinical effects and routes with multiple product exposures may not be specific to cannabis product
Geographic location based on caller digits

National, State, CityPoison center reportsAmerican Association of Poison Control Centers
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National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS)NationalHealth Incident DatabaseCollection of violent death data from death certificates, coroner/medical examiner reports, law enforcement reports, and toxicology reports Monitor violent death rates with a cannabis mention
Established coding system for classification
Can investigate specific recrods
Presence of a cannabis code/mention does not indicate cause
Toxicology testing requirements vary by jurisdiction
Quality and completeness vary by jurisdiction and time 		National, State, CountyViolent deathsCenters for Disease Control & Prevention$178,000 - a little under $1 million
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Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS)NationalHealth Incident DatabaseRecords of individuals who sought substance abuse treatmentMonitor admission rate for cannabis treatment
Collects data on substances used, age at first use, route of use, frequency of use, and number of previous admissions		Individuals can seek treatment multiple times
Participating facilities vary by jurisdiction		National, StateIndividuals that sought substance abuse treatmentSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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National Vital Statistics SystemNationalRegistryRecords of registration for vital events including births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and fetal deathsMonitor vital rates with a cannabis mention
Established coding system for classification
Can investigate specific records or perform literal search
Presence of a cannabis code/mention does not indicate cause
Toxicology testing requirements vary by jurisdiction
Quality and completeness of substances recorded on certificates vary by jurisdiction and time

National, State, CountyBirths/deathsNational Center for Health Statistics & Jurisdiction
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National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS)NationalLaw Enforcement Incident DatabaseRecords of single crime incidents including victims, known offenders, relationships, and propoerty involved in crimesProvides certain drug indicators including marijuana arrests and seizures
Assess strength of cannabis black market
Relies on voluntary reporting from law enforcement agencies
may better reflect whether an agency is prioritizing enforcing marijuana offenses as opposed to the actual market
Quality and completeness vary by jurisdiction and time 		National, StateDrug seizures Federal Bureau of Investigation
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Court case filingsState/LocalAdministrative RecordsThe history of a case filed that contains underlying documents such as pleadings, motions, and briefsCourt case filings with marijuana-related charges
Monitor the burden of marijuana offenses, convictions and sentencing, and criminal justice system contacts		No standardized data collection system nationwide
Access to judicial records can be restricted
Literal search may not capture all marijuana-related filings		State, County, MunicipalCourt case filings or individuals if assessing recidivismJudicial Branch
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Hospital/Emergency Department (ED)StateHealth Incident DatabaseRecords from health care facilities (hospitals/emergency department) that collect diagnosis, procedure, and injury codes usually submitted for claimsMonitor rate and burden of discharges with cannabis codes present
Established coding system for classification
Stratify cannabis mention rates by diagnosis and injury codes
Quality and completeness of data vary by health care facility and time
Any mention method decreases sensitivity
ICD-10-CM codes are not specific to method, potency, or type of cannabis product 		State, CountyDischarge recordsVaries
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