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by nateb2022·7mo ago·view on hn ↗
To give some statistical context, as of 2023, about 16.11% of people in the US have used cannabis in the past year; per that same dataset, about 16.53% of Ohio residents. [1] Given that Ohio’s usage metrics align closely with the national mean, I think it's fair to use the state as a proxy for broader domestic trends.

Per more Pew Research data, also from 2023, Ohio seems to have an average, if not a less than average, concentration of cannabis dispensaries, compared to other states where CBD products were legal. Montgomery County, OH is located in the bottom-left quarter of Ohio, and sits in a region with lower dispensary density than many comparable U.S. districts. [2]

Given that usage metrics mirror the national mean despite a lower-than-average retail presence, I think this dataset is a pretty fair "middle america" benchmark.

[1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/723822/cannabis-use-with... [2] https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/02/29/most-amer...

2 comments
You cannot pick and choose one or two variables and then claim representativeness based on a numerical match. The first step is to identify the confounding variables that are likely to influence the outcome. Only after those are specified a comparison set can be defined and matching or adjustment criteria applied. Without that process, agreement on a small number of aggregate measures does not establish that the underlying populations or mechanisms are comparable.
I'll concede this, however in large-scale demographic data, when the central tendencies of two populations align so closely, it is statistically unlikely that their underlying distributions are radically different. It puts the burden of proof on the idea that Ohio is somehow an outlier, rather than the idea that it's a standard sample. Otherwise, were we to attempt to account for every confounding variable, we would be letting the perfect be the enemy of the good.
Thanks for the data. While it does need more cross referencing it would indicated that deceased drivers are more than twice as likely to have traces of THC. We need to eliminate non-drivers but I think the proportion of drivers with traces of THC will remain higher with drivers than in the overall population.

Next, same stat for alcohol, that would be interesting.

Maybe adapt the THC threshold a bit to really only count people who recently consumed THC.