Young Adults' Knowledge of State Cannabis Policy: Implications for Studying the Effects of Legalization in Vermont.

Autor:	West JC; Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine.; Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont., Peasley-Miklus C; Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine., Klemperer EM; Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine.; Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont., Priest JS; Biomedical Statistics Research Core, University of Vermont., Trutor M; Alcohol & Drug Abuse Programs, Vermont Department of Health., Carman C; Alcohol & Drug Abuse Programs, Vermont Department of Health., Roemhildt M; Health Surveillance, Vermont Department of Health., Trites J; Health Surveillance, Vermont Department of Health., Villanti AC; Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Cannabis (Research Society on Marijuana) [Cannabis] 2022 Nov 21; Vol. 5 (3), pp. 11-22. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Nov 21 (Print Publication: 2022).
DOI:	10.26828/cannabis/2022.03.002
Abstrakt:	Objectives: Cannabis policy evaluations commonly assume equal policy exposure across a state's population using date of implementation as the key independent variable. This study aimed to explore policy knowledge as another measure of exposure and describe the sociodemographic, cognitive, and behavioral correlates of cannabis policy knowledge in young adults in Vermont. Methods: Data are from the PACE Vermont Study (Spring 2019), an online cohort study of Vermonters (12-25). Bivariate and multivariable analyses estimated prevalence ratios (PR) for correlations between knowledge of Vermont's cannabis policy (allowed possession for adults 21 and older) and sociodemographics, cannabis use, and harm perceptions in 1,037 young adults (18-25). Results: Overall, 60.1% of participants correctly described the state's cannabis policy. Being younger, Hispanic, non-White race, and less educated were inversely correlated with policy knowledge. Ever (PR=1.37; 95% CI 1.16-1.63) and past-30-day cannabis use (PR=1.27; 95% CI 1.12-1.45) were positively correlated with policy knowledge. Policy knowledge was more prevalent among young adults who perceived slight risk of harm from weekly cannabis use (vs. no risk; aPR=1.28; 95% CI 1.11-1.48) or agreed that regular cannabis use early in life can negatively affect attention (vs. disagree; aPR=1.55; 95% CI 1.22-1.97). Conclusion: Findings suggest that 40% of Vermont young adults in the study were unaware of current state cannabis policy and that policy knowledge was lower in younger, less educated, Hispanic, and non-White young adults. Future research should explore using a measure of policy knowledge as an exposure or moderator variable to better quantify the effects of changes in cannabis legal status on perceptions and use in young people. (© 2022 Authors et al.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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