Session: Understanding Diversity in Marijuana Use, Knowledge, and Norms within and Across Generations: Using Prevention Science to Inform the National Debate on Marijuana Legalization (Society for Prevention Research 22nd Annual Meeting)

In November 2012, Washington State voters passed Initiative 502 legalizing the use of marijuana for non-medical, recreational purposes by adults age 21 and over. Other states may follow suit: according to an October 2013 Gallup poll, a clear majority of Americans - 58% - say marijuana should be legalized.  Along with Colorado, which also legalized cannabis at the same time, Washington has entered uncharted territory.  To help inform this national discussion, the present symposium examines the environmental, individual and cross-generational factors associated with marijuana use. In addition, we examine the degree to which parents and adolescents have accurate knowledge about recreational marijuana laws, and the extent to which parents are discussing marijuana use with their adolescent children in light of the law changes.

Data are drawn from three studies: the Seattle Social Development Project, the SSDP Intergenerational Study, and the Common Sense Parenting study.  These studies illustrate how etiological and descriptive studies within prevention science can help inform policy makers and voters about the potential impact of legalization.  In paper 1, Epstein et al. examine discrete trajectories of marijuana use from ages 14-30 and document individual and environmental factors that differentiate these trajectories at key turning points. In Paper 2, Bailey et al. use accelerated longitudinal data linking two generations to examine associations between parental current and historical marijuana use and child drug use onset. Finally, in Paper 3, Hanson et al. assess parents’ and children’s current understanding of the new legislation and family communication about the law in Washington State.  The discussant, whose expertise is in the impact of drug policy and policy change on public health, will lead discussion about the implications of these findings, as well as the role prevention science can play in informing the national debate on marijuana legalization.