Does Ethnic Identity Moderate the Relationship between Racial Discrimination and Cannabis Use among US- and non-US Born Black Emerging Adults?

ABSTRACT

Race-based experiences of discrimination (EOD) have been documented as a risk factor for substance use among Black individuals, particularly during emerging adulthood, with ethnic identity serving as a protective influence. Our study extends epidemiologic research on EOD and cannabis use by examining this relation in U.S. and non-U.S. born Black emerging adults across immigrant generations (N = 466, 30% first-generation immigrants, 49% second-generation immigrants, and 21% non-immigrants). Results from self-reported data indicated EOD were associated with an increased likelihood of lifetime cannabis use, while ethnic identity was not significantly related to any odds of lifetime cannabis use. Odds of lifetime use was lower among first-generation immigrants compared to non-immigrants. Although the interaction between ethnic identity and EOD was not significantly associated with cannabis use, the results indicated that for second-generation immigrants, the probability of lifetime use decreased as ethnic identity increased. These findings underscore the importance of ethnic identity as a protective factor for cannabis use, especially among Black immigrants who have been racialized over generations in the United States, providing implications for future study and intervention.

KEYWORDS:

• Racial discrimination
• ethnic identity
• cannabis
• Black emerging adults
• immigrants

Disclosure statement

There are no relevant financial or non-financial competing interests to report.

Additional information

Funding

Support for this project was provided by a grant from the New York State (NYS) Center of Excellence for Cultural Competence at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, NYS Office of Mental Health (Dr. Anglin). This project was also funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (Grant Number R25DA035161) through the Translational Research Training in Addictions for Racial/Ethnic Minorities At The City College of New York, Columbia University Medical Center, and Rutgers University (TRACC-RU).