Recreational marijuana legalization and marijuana and alcohol co-use among adolescents: Differential associations among racial and ethnic groups

Abstract

We examined associations of the 2016 legalization of recreational marijuana (RML) in California with marijuana and alcohol co-use among race/ethnic groups using successive cross-sections from 7^th, 9^th, and 11^th graders (N = 3,319,329) in the 2010-11 to 2018-19 California Healthy Kids Surveys. Multilevel logistic regressions indicated a stronger positive association between RML and co-use among non-Hispanic/Latine White youth (OR = 1.21) relative to Hispanic/Latine (OR = 1.02) or Black youth (OR = 0.85). Among drinkers who had not consumed five or more drinks on any occasion in the past 30-days (non-heavy drinkers), the positive association between RML and co-use was stronger among American Indian/Alaska Native youth (OR = 2.19) compared to non-Hispanic/Latine Whites (OR = 1.56). For heavier drinkers it was stronger for Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders (OR = 1.47). Among marijuana users, there was a stronger inverse association between RML and co-use among Black youth (OR = 0.72) compared to non-Hispanic/Latine White youth (OR = 0.84). RML may increase the risk of co-use to a greater extent among non-Hispanic/Latine White youth than other race/ethnic groups in California, but broadly increases the risk among youth who engage in alcohol use or heavy drinking.

Keywords:

• Adolescents
• policy
• marijuana
• alcohol
• co-use

Acknowledgment

This work was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) P60-AA006282 and T32-AA014125. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and may not represent the views of NIAAA or NIH.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism;