Perception of Harm and Benefits of Adolescents About the Use of Marijuana, Province of Conception, Chile

Abstract

Objective: to identify the perception of harm and benefits of marijuana associated with the use of marijuana in high school students aged between 15 and 17 years. Method: quantitative, transversal, descriptive and correlational design. The sample consisted of 268 students from public educational institutions between the ages of 15 and 17 years from five communes in the Chilean province of Concepción. The independent variables were biodemographic (sex, age and course), age of onset, use of marijuana in friends, perception of harm and benefits, and intention to use marijuana). The dependent variables were use (smoking) of marijuana (prevalence of life, in the last 12 months and in the last 30 days). Data collection instrument consisted of a semi-structured questionnaire in base of the CICAD Uniform Inter-American Data System for high school students; Monitoring The Future; and Risk Perception. Self-applied instrument with prior consent of the parents and agreement of the students. Results: slightly more than half (54%) of the students reported never having smoked marijuana, but 46% have ever used some in their lives. There is a moderated-negative weak correlation between harm perception and marijuana use. It is also observed a moderated-negative weak correlation between benefit perception and marijuana use. Statistically significant correlations Conclusion: just under half of the students between 15 and 17 years old declare to consume marijuana, an alarming result due to the negative effects of marijuana. Furthermore, they perceive low levels of damage produced by the use of marijuana, and the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes is seen in a favorable position. A comprehensive policy of effective drug prevention at community, family and personal level is imperative.

Public Knowledge, Perceptions, and Behavioral Intention Regarding Medical Cannabis in Belgium

“…Objective knowledge about medical cannabis was low, not only among experts (Reece, Holle & Mukherjee 2021;Szaflarski et al 2020) and students in health care (Caligiuri, Ulrich & Welter 2018;Moeller, McGuire & Melton 2020;Pierre, Matthews & Walsh 2020;Sokratous et al 2021), but also among the general public (Gates, Todd & Copeland 2017). Nevertheless, studies with experts (Arnfinsen & Kisa 2021;Kaplan et al 2020;Szaflarski et al 2020), students (Moeller & Woods 2015), medical cannabis users (Arora et al 2020;Henriquez & Hamilton 2019;Luque et al 2021;Magnan & Ladd 2019), as well as the general public (Gazibara et al 2017) reported positive perceptions and attitudes toward medical cannabis. In some studies, higher perceived benefits were associated with lower risk perceptions (Jacobs, Kane & Caballero 2022;Shorey Fennell et al 2022).…”