Two Patterns of Cannabis Use Among Adolescents: Results of a 10-Year Prospective Study Using a Growth Mixture Model

ABSTRACT

Background: The present study aimed to distinguish cannabis consumption patterns among adolescents and to relate these to life satisfaction, academic achievement, and the use of other psychoactive substances. Methods: This study used a prospective design. Cannabis use was measured 14 times over the course of 10 years. Participants were 318 adolescents aged 14 to 15 at the beginning of the study. Results: Growth mixture modeling identified 2 latent classes. Class 1 was defined by phases of high-frequency cannabis use, and Class 2 was defined by low-frequency use or nonuse. Class 1 reported decreased satisfaction with life and one's own academic and professional achievement at the age of 24 as well as higher use of tobacco and illicit substances. Conclusions: High-frequency use of cannabis predicts a decreased satisfaction with life and one's own academic and professional achievement as well as an increased use of other substances.

Keywords:

• Adolescent cannabis use
• drug use patterns
• growth-mixture modeling
• longitudinal

FUNDING

The study is part of a longitudinal project on salutogenesis and drug consumption patterns funded by the German Research Council (DFG) 2002-2013 within its Collaborative Research Centre (Sonderforschungsbereich) 619 “Dynamics of Ritual.” The funding agency was not involved in the work reported here or in the composition of the article.

AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS

H. Kröninger-Jungaberle conceptualized the RISA study and organized data acquisition for the duration of the study. D. Grevenstein conducted the statistical analysis. Both D. Grevenstein and H. Kröninger-Jungaberle wrote and revised this article.