In the present study, we sought to extend the work exploring the association between medical marijuana policy and reduced suicide risk (Anderson et al., 2014). We utilized data from individual death records, which allowed us to adjust for demographic variables at an individual level. This was not possible in the prior study, which analyzed state suicide rates instead of individual death records. Yet adjusting for demographic variables could be important because they may be associated with suicide rates, and, as key characteristics of state electorates, could influence state policy change. For example, race and educational attainment, which were not addressed in the prior study, are well known to be associated with suicide rates (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013; Crosby et al., 2013, 2011). We also adjusted for several additional state policies and characteristics that past research suggests could be relevant. For example, we have recently shown that state tobacco control policies may influence suicide risk (Grucza et al., 2014). Tobacco control policies also likely influence the prevalence of marijuana use (Chaloupka et al., 1999; Farrelly et al., 2001;
