Attitudes about and correlates of cannabis legalization policy among U.S. young adults

Abstract

Objective

Cannabis policies are rapidly evolving in the US. This study’s purpose was to examine relationships between cannabis harm perceptions, substance use, and demographic characteristics on attitudes toward cannabis policies.

Participants

Participants were 619 undergraduate students in a Mid-Atlantic state where cannabis use was illegal.

Methods

In 2016, participants completed a cross-sectional survey. Multinomial logistic regressions tested associations between attitudes toward cannabis policies (recreational cannabis use, use in private, or public) while controlling for harm perceptions, substance use, and demographics.

Results

The majority (64%) of participants supported recreational cannabis legalization, while 78% supported private and 29% supported public use. Perceiving cannabis as less harmful and current cannabis use were positively associated with supporting all three cannabis policies.

Conclusions

Results highlight diversity of young adults’ opinions regarding specific cannabis policies and underscore relationships between cannabis use behaviors, harm perceptions, and support for legalization that may inform policy making and prevention efforts.

Keywords:

• Cannabis
• marijuana
• policy
• young adults

Additional information

Funding

Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth, 8521236. National Cancer Institute, P30CA016059, T32CA093423. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), P50DA036105, R03DA043005, U54DA036105 and the Center for Tobacco Products of the US Food and Drug Administration. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or the Food and Drug Administration.