Parents' Marijuana-Related Attitudes, Use, and Parenting Behaviors, Part II: Results from Focus Groups with Seattle-Area Parents of Children Aged 8 to 15

Introduction: Recreational use of marijuana by adults was legalized in late 2012 in the state of Washington. This study examines the potential effects of this law for parents by gathering qualitative data directly from those actively parenting. Jones et al. (2014) reported that parents feel challenged by the new law and are concerned about increased exposure of their children to marijuana. The current paper focuses on parents’ attitudes and norms conveyed to their children, and their marijuana-related parenting behaviors.

Methods:  We conducted six focus groups with parents of youth, recruiting participants from a multi-ethnic, longitudinal study originated in Seattle in 1985. All participants who had children between the ages of 8 to 15, and who lived locally within a delimited geographical area, were eligible to participate. A total of 54 parents, all age 39, participated in the focus group (65% female; 31% Caucasian, 30% African American, 18% Asian American, and 5% Native American). Two groups included past-year marijuana users and four included non-past-year users. A structured interview protocol was used to ask parents about how the new law has impacted their parenting behaviors related to marijuana (if and how parents were talking to their children about marijuana, rules related to marijuana use, etc.) and about strategies that parents might find helpful (useful information, skills needed, etc.). Transcripts were analyzed using thematic content analysis with NVivo software.

Results: Parents engaged in active discussions regarding youth exposure to marijuana and their own parenting challenges and attitudes. Although most parents felt that marijuana use by underage youth was not acceptable, many recognized that it was something teens would likely experiment with. Most parents have already had some type of conversation with their children about marijuana, but these conversations vary widely in terms of the content parents choose to convey, the depth of the information, and the communication strategies used. There are important differences between parents who use and don’t use marijuana in terms of attitudes towards their children’s use.

Conclusions: Parents face some new challenges as children’s exposure to marijuana increases; understanding their perspectives can offer insights into the information and support they need as they navigate parenting in the new legal landscape. Findings from this research have implications for policymakers and prevention program developers; as more states legalize medical and recreational marijuana use, it is relevant to shape policies and preventive interventions to better meet the needs of parents who, for the first time, are raising a generation of children growing up in environments where marijuana use is legal.