Youth and Young Adults’ Knowledge and Perceptions of Risks and Benefits Regarding Cannabis Products: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Over 1,700 Individuals

ABSTRACT

Canada legalized the use of non-medical cannabis in 2018. This study examines youth and young adults’ knowledge and perceptions of harms, benefits, and education around cannabis use since legalization. An online survey was completed by a convenience sample of 1,759 individuals aged 12–25 years living in Manitoba, Canada. Most participants (n = 1,525, 86.7%) reported receiving education on the potential effects/harms related to cannabis; the most common topics included driving and cannabis use (79.9%), the mental harms of cannabis (67.4%), and addiction and dependency (66.3%). Youth who reported using cannabis more than once (n = 1,203) were more knowledgeable about the effects of cannabis than youth who never used cannabis or used cannabis once (n = 580; mean score: 6.6 versus 5.7 out of 8, respectively; p < .001). Vaping cannabis oil was perceived as the most harmful cannabis product among all participants. Among participants with experience using cannabis, the most frequently reported benefits were relaxation, improved sleep, and enhanced enjoyment of food/music. Half of the participants reported ever being in a car with someone driving high, of which, 40% of these participants reported doing so in the last 30 days. Future tailored education is needed to address knowledge related to cannabis use among youth and young adults who use and do not use cannabis.

KEYWORDS:

• Cannabis
• adolescents
• perceptions
• harm
• survey
• Canada

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Kat Kolar who provided expert advice on the study and made recommendations regarding the study survey and manuscript. The authors would also like to thank the youth and young adults who participated in the study.

Data availability statement

Data is stored on a University of Manitoba private server and can be made available upon request.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2024.2371028.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Conflicts of Interest

ST is the Chief Medical Officer of Ekosi Health Centre, a clinic in Manitoba that provides wrap-around care for those requiring access to substance use and mental health services. She authorizes and provides consultation for the use of medical cannabis for individuals. She receives funding from Indivior to provide Sublocade injection training for health care providers. DH has served as a paid expert witness on behalf of public authorities in response to legal challenges from cannabis, tobacco, and vaping companies.

Additional information

Funding

This work was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Catalyst Grant [HEV-172908].