The impact of different drinking habits on marijuana use among college-aged youths

ABSTRACT

The present study investigates the impact of two drinking habits – moderate drinking and heavy drinking – on marijuana use among college-aged youths. Utilizing data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 97 (NLSY97), this paper reveals that there is a positive association between both drinking habits and marijuana use in the long run, indicating that alcohol and marijuana are complements. However, in the short run, the association between marijuana and alcohol varies based on different drinking habits. The present study also provides evidence that underage drinking might lead to marijuana use among people younger than 21.

KEYWORDS:

• Marijuana
• Alcohol
• Drinking habit
• College-aged youth

Acknowledgement

The author would like to thank Prof. Dhaval Dave at Bentley University for his informative comments and recommendations in this manuscript.