Perception of Harm and Benefits of Cannabis Use Among Adolescents From Latin America and Caribe

Abstract

Objective: to investigate the perception of harms and benefits associated with cannabis use among adolescents and how regulatory changes might affect their intention to use marijuana. Method: this multi-centric cross-sectional survey study. participants included 2717 students aged 15-17 from 10 cities in Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Mexico, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago. Results: an average lifetime prevalence of cannabis use of 30.6% (25.8% past year, 15.8% past 30 days). Most participants reported that their closest friends use cannabis (60%); many (55%) stated that they would not use marijuana, even if it were legally available. Conclusion: statistics revealed that a strong perception of benefits, a low perception of risk, and friends’ use of cannabis were associated with individual use as well as intention to use within a hypothetical context of regulatory change.