Search Results

Author: Hammond, Christopher J.
Resulting in 1 citation.
1. Pawar, Aditya K.S.
Firmin, Elizabeth S.
Wilens, Timothy E.
Hammond, Christopher J.
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Medical and Recreational Cannabis Legalization and Cannabis Use Among Youth in the United States
Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry published online (27 March 2024).
Also: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2024.02.016
Cohort(s): NLSY97
Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Keyword(s): Adolescence; Marijuana/Cannabis; Marijuana/Cannabis Law/Policy; Marijuana/Cannabis Legalization; Marijuana/Cannabis Use; Marijuana/Cannabis, Medical; Marijuana/Cannabis, Recreational; Young Adults

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Objective: Dramatic changes in state-level cannabis laws (CL) over the past 25 years have shifted societal beliefs throughout the United States, with unknown implications for youth. In the present study, we conducted an updated systematic review and meta-analysis examining estimated effects of medical cannabis legalization (MCL) and recreational cannabis legalization (RCL) on past-month cannabis use among US youth.

Method: A systematic review was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, followed by a subsequent meta-analysis investigating the associations between state-level cannabis laws (ie, MCL vs non-MCL, and RCL vs non-RCL) and past-month cannabis use prevalence among US adolescents and young adults. Supplemental analyses examined age-group effects and design-related factors.

Results: Our search identified 4,604 citations, 34 and 30 of which were included in qualitative and quantitative analyses, respectively. Meta-analysis of MCL studies identified no significant association between MCL and change in past-month youth cannabis use (odds ratio [OR] = 0.981, 95% CI = 0.960, 1.003). Meta-analysis of RCL studies showed significantly increased odds of past-month cannabis use (OR = 1.134, 95% CI = 1.116-1.153). Meta-analysis of more recent studies, however, showed a significantly increased odds of past-month cannabis use among both adolescents and young adults (OR = 1.089, 95% CI = 1.015,1.169, and OR = 1.221, 95% CI = 1.188,1.255, respectively).

Conclusion: Cannabis legalization has complex and heterogenous effects on youth use that may differ across law types. Our meta-analytic results showed modest positive effects of RCL on past-month cannabis use (more so in young adults than in adolescents) and minimal effects of MCL on these outcomes in US youth. Given the shift toward recreational legalization, additional focus on RCL effects is warranted.

Bibliography Citation
Pawar, Aditya K.S., Elizabeth S. Firmin, Timothy E. Wilens and Christopher J. Hammond. "Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Medical and Recreational Cannabis Legalization and Cannabis Use Among Youth in the United States." Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry published online (27 March 2024).