Substance-Specific Risk Factors among Young Adults: Potential Prevention Targets across Cannabis-Permissive Environments

Katarina Guttmannova, Sabrina Oesterle, Martie L. Skinner, Margaret R. Kuklinski, Brittney Hultgren, Isaac C. Rhew, Myra Parker, John S. Briney, Helene R. White

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined levels of substance-specific risk factors such as perception of harm from substance use among young adults in a range of cannabis-permissive environments. The main objective was to inform future preventive interventions aimed at reducing cannabis use in the context of increasingly permissive environments. Methods: Data came from the Community Youth Development Study (CYDS) collected in 2016 when participants were about 23 years old (n = 1,722 participants residing in 46 U.S. states). Young adults self-reported their perceptions about the harms related to cannabis, alcohol, and cigarette use; attitudes about and ease of access to cannabis and other substances; and perceived wrongfulness and social acceptability of cannabis, alcohol, and cigarette use and of selling of cannabis and other illegal drugs. Results: Young adults in more permissive cannabis contexts reported higher levels of all cannabis-specific risk factors (e.g., greater access to and more favorable attitudes about cannabis use), except for perception of harm from regular cannabis use. However, permissiveness of the cannabis environment was not associated with heightened levels of risk factors for other substance use (such as alcohol, cigarettes, and opioids). Conclusions: Future preventive interventions for young adults living in more permissive cannabis contexts may need to focus on cannabis-specific risk factors in particular and go beyond considerations of harm from regular use. Future studies should replicate these findings with other samples.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1923-1930
Number of pages8
JournalSubstance Use and Misuse
Volume57
Issue number13
DOIs
StatePublished - 2022

Keywords

  • Cannabis
  • risk factors
  • substance use

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Medicine (miscellaneous)
  • Health(social science)
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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