|
Abstract
|
INTRODUCTION: The current study investigated the prevalence of past 30-day cannabis use among US youth by cigarette use, alcohol use, demographics and state-of-residence cannabis legal status in 2021, and examined whether changes in prevalence were modified by these factors from 2013 to 2021.
METHODS: Data were drawn from the 24 states that collected cannabis use data participating in the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) from 2013-2021. Logistic regression analyses estimated past 30-day cannabis prevalence in 2021 and produced adjusted odds ratios (AOR) by current cigarette, alcohol, state-of-residence cannabis legal status. The same method was used with year as the exposure, adjusting for sex, race and ethnicity, to assess trends in prevalence from 2013 to 2021.
RESULTS: In 2021, cannabis use was more common among female (16.75% vs. 13.83%, AOR=1.26 (95% CI: 1.16, 1.37)), Non-Hispanic (NH) Black and Hispanic youth relative to NH White youth (17.19%, 16.14% vs. 14.60%; AOR=1.25 (95% CI: 1.12, 1.39); AOR=1.16 (95% CI: 1.04, 1.29)), respectively. Cannabis use was much more common among youth who reported any past 30-day cigarette or alcohol use (44.90% vs. 6.48%, AOR=11.80 (95% CI: 10.57, 13.18)). Declines in cannabis use were observed independent of state-level cannabis law from 2013 to 2021 and cannabis use prevalence did not differ significantly by state-of-residence cannabis legal status among the 24 participating states in 2021.
CONCLUSIONS: Public health officials should carefully consider the potential differential impact of expanding commercialization of cannabis and US state government endorsement of cannabis as a "wellness" product on youth, especially with regard to co-use with tobacco and alcohol. National and state-level public health education on cannabis use and youth-oriented prevention of cannabis uptake are long overdue.
Language: en |