Correlates of Perceived Harmfulness of Regular Cannabis Use among Canadian University Students Before and After Legalization.

Autor:	Mader J; Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary., Smith JM; Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary., Smith J; Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary., Afzal AR; Alberta Health Services, Government of Alberta., Arria AM; Center on Young Adult Health and Development, Department of Behavioral and Community Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health., Bugbee BA; Center on Young Adult Health and Development, Department of Behavioral and Community Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health., Winters KC; Oregon Research Institute.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Cannabis (Albuquerque, N.M.) [Cannabis] 2022 Nov 21; Vol. 5 (3), pp. 23-35. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Nov 21 (Print Publication: 2022).
DOI:	10.26828/cannabis/2022.03.003
Abstrakt:	Objective: Among a prospective sample of Canadian university students, this study aimed to: 1) document changes in cannabis use and perceived harmfulness of use before and after the legalization of recreational cannabis; 2) examine correlates of perceived harmfulness; and 3) explore changes in perceived harmfulness as a function of cannabis use patterns. Method: A random sample of 871 students at one western Canadian university were assessed pre- and post-legalization of recreational cannabis. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to explore changes in cannabis use and perceived harmfulness. A random effects model was developed to assess whether cannabis legalization was associated with perceptions of harmfulness of regular cannabis use. Results: Twenty-six percent of the sample used cannabis during the past three months at both timepoints. The majority of the sample perceived regular cannabis use as a high-risk behaviour at each timepoint (57.3% and 60.9%, respectively). Results from the random effects model showed that after controlling for covariates, cannabis legalization was not associated with changes in perceived harmfulness. Perceptions of harm remained relatively stable regardless of cannabis use pattern. Respondents who endorsed cannabis use at both timepoints reported a significant increase in their frequency of cannabis use post-legalization. Conclusions: Legalization of cannabis for recreational use was not associated with substantive changes in perceptions of harm among post-secondary students, yet it might lead to increases in cannabis use among those who already use the substance. Ongoing monitoring of policies is needed, as are targeted public health initiatives to identify post-secondary students who are at risk for cannabis-related consequences. Competing Interests: None of the authors have any conflicts of interest to declare. (© 2022 Authors et al.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
Externí odkaz:	Zobrazit plný text záznamu