Parent Perceptions of Adolescent Marijuana Use and Adolescent Use before and after a Prevention Campaign in Colorado

Introduction: After Colorado legalized recreational marijuana, legislators charged the state health department with engaging in prevention and education activities. These activities include campaigns directed to parents and adolescents to prevent adolescent marijuana use. The purpose of this study is (1) to examine parent perceptions of health effects from adolescent marijuana use and marijuana use and storage in the home in order to inform parent-directed campaigns; and (2) to evaluate changes in adolescent marijuana use and attitudes towards marijuana before and after an adolescent-directed media campaign.

Methods: Adult data are from a cohort who completed a survey in the spring of 2016 (n=749, response rate=60%). The cohort was drawn from a registry of research participants and included an oversample of marijuana users and parents. Participants reported their perception of risk associated with adolescent marijuana use, marijuana use and storage in the home, and conversations with children about marijuana. Adolescent data include matched pre-post surveys of participants in a youth-directed campaign What’s Next (n=1,758). Survey questions include marijuana use, intention to use and consequences of marijuana use.

Results: Parents endorsed moderate or a lot of risk associated with adolescent marijuana use for a number of behaviors ranging from 80% for a teen using marijuana once a week to 95% for eating an edible product. Parents were more likely than other adults to endorse risks of a teen using marijuana weekly or vaping marijuana (p<.05). Of parents who use marijuana, 83% reported marijuana in the home that is stored out of reach, locked, or in a childproof container. Among parents who use marijuana, 80% greatly limit marijuana use around their child whereas only 42% of parents who drink alcohol report limiting alcohol use around their child. Three out of four parents reported they have talked with their child about the risks of using marijuana.

Adolescents reported an increase in past month marijuana use (p<.05) and likelihood of using marijuana in the next year (p<.001) from pre to post campaign activities. Adolescents were asked about seven potential consequences of marijuana use and only two had significant increases from pre to post campaign (“Hurt your school work” and “Fought with your parents”).

Conclusion: Our findings suggest there is continued need for adolescent marijuana use prevention efforts and that educational campaigns alone may not be sufficient for preventing use. Most parents perceive risks from adolescent marijuana use and have appropriate marijuana storage behaviors. Parents may be more effectively engaged in preventing adolescent marijuana use.