Study Links Parents’ Marijuana Use to Children’s Substance Use

Overview of Marijuana Legislation and Usage Trends

A recent study investigates the relationship between parental marijuana consumption and the substance use behaviors of their children. With medical marijuana legalized in 33 states and recreational use permitted in 11, marijuana use has become more prevalent than it was a decade ago. Data indicates that the proportion of individuals aged 12 and older in the United States who used marijuana in the past year increased from 11.0% in 2002 to 15.9% in 2018, with the most significant rise among young adults.

Impact of Early Marijuana Use

Early marijuana use has been linked to heightened risks of psychosis, depression, and cognitive impairments. To explore factors influencing marijuana and substance use among youth, recent research evaluated whether parental marijuana use serves as a contributing factor.

Details of the Study

The study, published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed the connection between parents’ marijuana use and their children’s consumption of marijuana, alcohol, tobacco, and opiates. Data was gathered between 2015 and 2018 from the National Surveys on Drug Use and Health, facilitated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The sample comprised 24,900 parent-child pairs, including adolescents aged 12 to 17 living with parents born between 1955 and 1984, and young adults aged 18 to 30 living with parents born between 1955 and 1980.

Researchers inquired about participants’ marijuana, alcohol, and illicit drug use over the past year and their lifetime, as well as any misuse of prescription opioids, stimulants, or sedatives. Those who reported past-year marijuana use were asked how many days they had used it in that timeframe.

Findings of the Research

The results revealed that past-year marijuana use was significantly higher among adolescents whose parents used marijuana compared to those whose parents did not. Additionally, these adolescents also showed increased rates of past-year tobacco and alcohol use. Notably, past-year opioid misuse was more prevalent among adolescents whose parents consumed marijuana more than once a week.

Implications and Future Research

The findings suggest that parental marijuana use may elevate the likelihood of their children using marijuana, tobacco, and alcohol, as well as potentially increasing the risk of opioid misuse. Further research is necessary to ascertain whether this effect is causal.

References

Harding, A. (2013, November 4). Medical Marijuana Treatment Uses and How It Works. Retrieved November 25, 2019, from https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/features/medical-marijuana-uses.
Madras, B. K., Han, B., & Compton, W. M., et al. (2019). Associations of Parental Marijuana Use With Offspring Marijuana, Tobacco, and Alcohol Use and Opioid Misuse. JAMA Network Open, 2(11). doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.16015
Is parents’ use of marijuana associated with greater likelihood of kids’ substance use? (2019, November 22). Retrieved November 25, 2019, from https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-11/jn-ipu111919.php.
Legal Medical Marijuana States and DC – Medical Marijuana – ProCon.org. (2019, July 24). Retrieved November 25, 2019, from https://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/legal-medical-marijuana-states-and-dc/.
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