Session: Marijuana Legalization in Washington State: Parental Attitudes and Prevention Messages (Society for Prevention Research 23rd Annual Meeting)

Introduction: In December 2012, Washington state legalized the possession and recreational use of marijuana by adults over age 21. This panel will examine what state residents are saying about this new law and associated changes in behavior. Is legalization associated with changes in marijuana norms, beliefs, and use by adults? Is it associated with adult use of substances other than marijuana? What are parents saying to their children about marijuana, including their own use? What guidelines are parents setting for their children’s use? How can we develop evidence-based messages to prevent and delay underage marijuana use? We will present findings from initial efforts to address these questions.

Methods: Data are from two studies. The Seattle Social Development Project (SSDP) is currently collecting a 15th wave of data from a gender-balanced, multiethnic, Seattle-based longitudinal cohort of 808 that was previously interviewed 14 times from age 10 to age 35, corresponding to years 1985 to 2010. All 15 interviews ask about marijuana use, with increasing detail as participants aged through adolescence and young adulthood, and included assessments of marijuana abuse and dependence at ages 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 35, and 39. Prospective data also include assessments of other substance abuse collected every 3 or 4 years from age 21 to 39. In addition to survey questions, SSDP included focus groups with parents from the cohort conducted in the summer of 2014, following the opening of recreational marijuana stores. Included parents had children ranging from ages 8 to 15. These groups gathered in more depth examples of parents’ communication with their children about marijuana use as well as their attitudes about use in the presence of their children. The second study, Common Sense Parenting (CSP), also conducted focus groups. CSP drew from a sample of Tacoma, Washington, parents of teens aged 17 and whose families were financially challenged. The CSP focus groups were conducted in the fall of 2013, prior to the opening of recreational marijuana stores, and included both parents and, in separate groups, their teenage children. An important goal of these groups was to develop marijuana-focused messages that could potentially be disseminated through the media.

Results and Conclusions: SSDP survey results show substantial misunderstanding of the law, as well as changes in norms and use from pre- to post-legalization. Findings from focus groups highlight a wide variety of approaches parents take to talking with their children about marijuana and its legalization. CSP utilized focus group results to develop and test marijuana messages and found a general preference for messages providing information about the law. Examples of these messages will be presented.