1
|
Jablonska B, Negura L. Navigating the Grey Zone: The Impact of Legislative Frameworks in North America and Europe on Adolescent Cannabis Use-A Systematic Review. Behav Sci (Basel) 2024; 14:484. [PMID: 38920816 PMCID: PMC11200412 DOI: 10.3390/bs14060484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This paper aims to systematically review the impact of legislative framework changes in North America and Europe on adolescent cannabis use. It not only seeks to examine the prevalence of adolescent marijuana use following legislative changes but also to identify the driving forces behind fluctuations in use and to address the gaps left by previous studies. METHODS A systematic literature review was conducted in selected databases. After screening English-language publications dating from 2013 to 2023 (n = 453 studies), 24 met the inclusion criteria. Articles were considered if they analyzed the impact of legislative changes on adolescent cannabis use in countries across North America and Europe. SYNTHESIS The overall findings suggest an inconsistency regarding the prevalence of cannabis use among youth and adolescents following policy changes. The effects of modifications in cannabis policies on marijuana consumption are complex and influenced by various factors. These include the details of legislation, societal perspectives, enforcement methods, socioeconomic status, and cultural background. CONCLUSIONS The results of this analysis reveal a nuanced reality. Although research suggests a rise in cannabis use after legalization, there are variations in the outcomes observed. This highlights the significance of considering context and demographics. Moreover, studies shed light on how specific policy changes, such as depenalization, can affect cannabis use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lilian Negura
- School of Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, 120, University Private, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada;
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Chiu V, Dawson D, Chan G, Hall W, Hides L, Leung J. Prevalence and correlates of positive parental attitudes towards cannabis use and use intention in Australia during 2016 and 2019. Addict Behav 2024; 150:107917. [PMID: 38043472 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION With recent policy changes around medicinal cannabis in Australia, there is concern about the influence of changing norms of cannabis use on adults who are actively parenting. METHODS This repeated cross-sectional population study used National and Drug Strategy and Household Surveys to estimate the changes and correlates of cannabis-related attitudes (support of legalisation, approve of regular use, would try or use if legal) among Australian parents from 2016 to 2019. RESULTS The estimated proportion of parents who supported legalisation and approved regular cannabis use increased significantly. Parents who would try cannabis if it was legal grew from 5.9% (95 %CI: 5.2, 6.7) to 8.1% (95 %CI: 7.2, 9.0). Parents who said they would use cannabis more often increased from 1.6 (95 % CI: 1.2, 1.9) to 2.9 (95 %CI: 2.4, 3.4), an 81% jump in the three years. The strongest associations were observed between a very high level of psychological distress and regular smoking and drinking. For example, people with a very high level of psychological distress were 2.16 times (95 %CI: 1.42, 3.28) and 2.48 times (95 %CI: 1.61, 3.83) more likely to approve legalisation and regular cannabis use, respectively. Daily drinking was associated with higher odds of trying cannabis (OR = 1.66; CI: 1.25-2.20). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION The proportion of parents who would try or use cannabis more often represents a sizeable pool of potential new and frequent users. This highlights the need for education and intervention strategies for parents who use cannabis and care for young children. The associations between mental health and substance use suggest that more research is needed to understand the impact of legalisation on vulnerable groups.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vivian Chiu
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland, 31 Upland Road, St Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia.
| | - Danielle Dawson
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland, 31 Upland Road, St Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia.
| | - Gary Chan
- National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland, 31 Upland Road, St Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia.
| | - Wayne Hall
- National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland, 31 Upland Road, St Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia.
| | - Leanne Hides
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland, 31 Upland Road, St Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia.
| | - Janni Leung
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland, 31 Upland Road, St Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Liu J, Winickoff JP, Hanby E, Rees V, Emmons KM, Tan AS. Prevalence and correlates of past 30-day dual-vaping of nicotine and cannabis among adolescents in five New England states. Drug Alcohol Depend 2024; 254:111055. [PMID: 38071894 PMCID: PMC10872281 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.111055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE Adolescent vaping behavior includes vaping of multiple substances, including both nicotine and cannabis (dual-vaping). This study describes the prevalence and the sociodemographic correlates of past 30-day dual-vaping. METHODS We recruited adolescents ages 13-17 from five New England states (Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire) through the Prodege online survey panel from April 2021 to August 2022. Dual-vaping was defined as vaping both nicotine and cannabis (THC and/or CBD) in the past 30-days. We analyzed the prevalence of sole-nicotine, sole-cannabis, and dual-vaping of nicotine and cannabis and used multinomial logistic regression to examine associations between sociodemographic factors and sole- and dual-vaping of nicotine and cannabis. RESULTS The analytic sample included 2013 observations from 1858 participants (mean age 15.1 years, 46.2% female, 74.1% White, 82.2% heterosexual). Among these observations, 5.6% reported past 30-day sole-nicotine vaping, 5.5% reported sole-cannabis vaping, and 7.3% had dual-vaped. Correlates for higher odds of past 30-day dual-vaping included total social media sites used and household tobacco use, in contrast with sole-cannabis vaping, which included older age and self-reported depression (all p's <0.05). DISCUSSION Adolescent past 30-day dual-vaping of nicotine and cannabis was more prevalent than past 30-day sole-vaping of either nicotine or cannabis alone. Future studies should continue to collect detailed data on the type of substances, besides nicotine, that adolescents are vaping.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Liu
- Harvard University, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Kresge Building, Boston, MA, USA; REACH Lab, Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
| | - Jonathan P Winickoff
- Massachusetts General for Children, Division of General Academic Pediatrics, Boston, MA, USA; MGH Tobacco Research and Treatment Center, Boston, MA, USA; American Academy of Pediatrics Julius B. Richmond Center, Itasca, IL, USA
| | - Elaine Hanby
- University of Pennsylvania, Annenberg School for Communication, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Vaughan Rees
- Harvard University, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Kresge Building, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Karen M Emmons
- Harvard University, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Kresge Building, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andy Sl Tan
- University of Pennsylvania, Annenberg School for Communication, Philadelphia, PA, USA; University of Pennsylvania, Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Abramson Cancer Center, Tobacco and Environmental Carcinogenesis Program, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Liu J, Tan ASL, Winickoff JP, Rees VW. Correlates of adolescent sole-, dual- and poly-use of cannabis, vaped nicotine, and combusted tobacco. Addict Behav 2023; 146:107804. [PMID: 37478525 PMCID: PMC10528055 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Compared to single substance use, adolescents' use of multiple substances is associated with more severe dependence, cessation outcomes, and health risks. This study examined correlates of use and co-use of e-cigarettes, combusted tobacco, and cannabis among high school-aged (9th-12th grade, approximately aged 14-18) adolescents. METHODS We analyzed the 2019 Massachusetts Youth Health Survey (MYHS) data to calculate the weighted means of any past 30-day sole-use of e-cigarettes, sole-use of combusted tobacco, sole-use of cannabis, dual-use of two of the above substances, and poly-use of all three substances. We then used weighted multinomial logistic regression to examine the associations between demographic, social and behavioral factors and sole-, dual-, and poly-use (vs. no use) of these substances. RESULTS Among N = 1614 respondents, any past 30-day dual-use of e-cigarettes and cannabis was the most prevalent (17.2%, SE: 1.3%). Sole-use of combusted tobacco was less than 1%, whereas 4.5% (SE: 0.7%) of respondents reported poly-use of e-cigarettes, cannabis, and combusted tobacco. Lower academic grades and self-reported depression (1 item on persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness) were associated with increased odds of dual-use of e-cigarettes and cannabis and poly-use (vs. sole-use of any substance). Adolescents who self-reported having "any long-term emotional problems or learning disabilities" had greater odds of poly-use. CONCLUSION Different sets of correlates were associated with sole-, dual-, and poly-use, suggesting that certain adolescents may be more vulnerable than others to multiple substance use. Future research should examine potentially modifiable upstream influences, such as the home environment and socioeconomic factors that may affect the relationship between adolescent mental health, school performance, and multiple addictive substance use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Liu
- REACH Lab, Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, United States; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States.
| | - Andy S L Tan
- University of Pennsylvania, Annenberg School for Communication, Philadelphia, PA, United States; University of Pennsylvania, Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Abramson Cancer Center, Tobacco and Environmental Carcinogenesis Program, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Jonathan P Winickoff
- MassGeneral Hospital Division of General Academic Pediatrics, Boston, MA, United States; MGH Tobacco Research and Treatment Center, Boston, MA, United States; American Academy of Pediatrics Julius B. Richmond Center, Itasca, IL, United States
| | - Vaughan W Rees
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| |
Collapse
|