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Published: 15 February 2021

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Abstract

Introduction: This paper compares consequences of cannabis use initiated after high school with those of cannabis initiation in adolescence, with estimates of the proportion of adverse consequences accounted for by adult-onset and adolescent-onset cannabis users.

Methods: A state-representative sample in Victoria, Australia (n = 1792) participated in a 10-wave longitudinal study and was followed from age 15 to 35 years. Exposure variable: Patterns of cannabis use across 20 years. Outcomes at age 35: Alcohol use, smoking, illicit drug use, relationship status, financial hardship, depression, anxiety and employment status.

Results: Substantially more participants (13.6%) initiated regular use after high school (young-adult onset) than in adolescence (7.7%, adolescent onset). By the mid-30s, both young-adult and adolescent-onset regular users were more likely than minimal/non-users (63.5%) to have used other illicit drugs (odds ratio [OR] > 20.4), be a high-risk alcohol drinker (OR > 3.7), smoked daily (OR > 7.2) and less likely to be in relationships (OR < 0.4). As the prevalence of the young-adult-onset group was nearly double of the adolescent-onset group, it accounted for a higher proportion of adverse consequences than the adolescent-onset group.

Discussion and conclusions: Cannabis users who began regular use in their teens had poorer later life outcomes than non-using peers. The larger group who began regular cannabis use after leaving high school accounted for most cannabis-related harms in adulthood. Given the legalisation of cannabis use in an increasing number of jurisdictions, we should increasingly expect harms from cannabis use to lie in those commencing use in young adulthood.

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Published: 12 February 2021

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Is weed a gateway drug at any age? Frequent users are three times more likely to be heavy drinkers and 20 TIMES more likely to use other drugs - no matter when they start smoking marijuana

• Researchers compared people who began regularly using marijuana as teenager and as adults to non-users 
• People who began using pot as adolescents were 20.4 times more likely to be illicit drug users and 3.7 times more likely to be a high-risk alcohol drinkers
• They were also 7.2 times more likely to smoke cigarettes daily and 0.4 times less likely to be in a relationship
• Weed users who began as adults were 90.8 times more likely to use illicit drugs, 3.2 times more likely to be heavy drinkers 
• These people were 7.3 times more likely to smoke cigarettes daily and 0.3 times less likely to be in a relationship

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Published: 10 February 2021

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Highlights

• Peer deviance is associated with higher odds of cannabis use.
• PRS is associated with higher odds of cannabis use among subjects who never engage with community activities.
• Analyses in African American subjects were inconclusive due to limited portability of the PRS.
• Church activities is associated with lower odds of cannabis use.

Abstract

Background: Among adult college students in the US, cannabis use is common and associated with considerable negative consequences to health, cognition, and academic functioning, underscoring the importance of identifying risk and protective factors. Cannabis use is influenced by genetic factors, but genetic risk is not determinative. Accordingly, it is critical to identify environments that reduce risk among those who are at elevated genetic risk. This study examined the impact of polygenic scores for cannabis initiation, various forms of social activity participation, and peer deviance on recent cannabis use. Our aim was to test whether these environments moderate genetic risk for cannabis use.

Methods: Data came from a longitudinal sample of undergraduate college students of European American (EA; N_EA = 750) and African American (AA; N_AA = 405) ancestry. Generalized estimating equations with a logit link function were used to examine main effects and two-way interactions.

Results: Engagement with church activities was associated with lower probability of cannabis use. Peer deviance was associated with higher probability of cannabis use. Engagement with community activities moderated the influence of the polygenic risk score in the EA sample, such that PRS was associated with recent cannabis use among those who never engaged in community activities. This effect did not replicate in AAs, which may have been due to the portability of PRS based on EA discovery samples.

Conclusions: Results suggest that community activities may limit the influence of genetic risk, as associations between PRS and cannabis use were only observed among individuals who never engaged in community activities.

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Published: 05 February 2021

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The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and University of Michigan report evidence of toxic chemicals in marijuana smokers and withdrawal symptoms in most people using cannabis, Australia’s University of Queensland showed that regular cannabis use has harmful effects and Canada’s University of Montreal confirmed that cannabidiol isn’t effective in reducing dependence on cocaine.

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