OUR WORK & RESEARCH
What are some of the critical gaps this study is trying to address?
This study emerged out of critical gaps in understanding how cannabis policies have impacted young adults since cannabis became legal in California for personal use in 2016 and legal sales began in 2018.
What is our research approach?
Guiding hypothesis and long-term goals of this study…
This study emerged out of critical gaps in understanding how cannabis policies have impacted young adults since cannabis became legal in California for personal use in 2016 and legal sales began in 2018.
- It is unknown how legalizing cannabis for personal use has impacted patterns of cannabis use among young adults, including use of high potency forms, e.g., edibles, concentrates.
- It is unknown how legalizing cannabis for personal use has influenced patterns of other drug use and risk behaviors, such as driving under the influence of cannabis.
- It is unknown how legalizing cannabis for personal use has impacted cannabis use among young adults who cannot legally purchase cannabis, e.g., 18 to 20 year olds, except for medical purposes.
What is our research approach?
- To address these gaps, we continue to research both young medical cannabis patients (n=115) and young non-patient users (n=186) first interviewed in Los Angeles in 2014-15 using qualitative and quantitative methods.
- In addition, a new cohort of young adult cannabis users (n=139) aged 18 to 20 were enrolled in 2019.
- For this new cohort, all young adults participated in a baseline interview and have three follow-up interviews at one-year intervals. A subset (n=50) will participate in three waves of qualitative interviews.
Guiding hypothesis and long-term goals of this study…
- The central hypothesis guiding this study is that legalizing cannabis for personal use will affect cannabis use, other drug use, and risk behaviors among young adult cannabis users; and this will vary by patient status (patient vs. non-patient) and orientation towards cannabis use, i.e., medical vs. non-medical.
- We also sought to examine psychosocial factors that contribute to these associations and how these behaviors change over time.
- Our long-term goal is to continue the investigation to inform public policy with study findings on safer and controlled use of cannabis among young adults in an environment where cannabis is legal for personal use.