Developmental trajectories of marijuana use from adolescence to adulthood: Relationship with using weapons including guns

Abstract

This is the first study to assess the associations between the trajectories of marijuana use and other predictors of violent behavior with the use of guns or other weapons as well as stealing without the use of weapons among inner-city African Americans and Puerto Ricans (N=838). Logistic regression analyses examined whether the longitudinal trajectories of marijuana use compared with the trajectory of no/low marijuana use predicted violent behavior. A higher Bayesian posterior probability (BPP) for the increasing marijuana use trajectory group (AOR=3.37, p<.001), the moderate use of marijuana trajectory group (AOR=1.98, p<.01), and the quitter trajectory group (AOR=1.70, p<.05) predicted an increased likelihood of engaging in violence (i.e., shooting or hitting someone with a weapon) compared with the BPP of the no use of marijuana trajectory group. Our results address a number of important public health and clinical issues. Public health funds might be spent on prevention programs focused on decreasing the use of marijuana, increasing educational retention, and decreasing contact with deviant associates. Understanding the psychosocial conditions related to the use of weapons is critical for individuals involved in the criminal justice system, physicians, and other health care providers in managing individuals who engage in violent behavior.

Marijuana use from adolescence to adulthood: developmental trajectories and their outcomes

“…For instance, the trajectories of chronic and increasing marijuana use may be associated with drug-prone personality attributes and psychiatric conditions, difficulties in interpersonal relations, and environmental factors, such as financial difficulty [10–14]. In recent years, a number of investigators have attempted to identify the patterns or trajectories of marijuana use [3, 15].…”

“…For example, Caldeira et al (2012) [3] reported that chronic and late-increasing marijuana users had the worst health outcomes, including functional impairment due to injury, illness, or emotion problems. In a sample of African American and Puerto Rican adolescents and adults, chronic marijuana use was associated with increased violence, greater financial instability, and increased sexual risk behavior [10, 16]. In a study using national panel data, Schulenberg and colleagues (2005) [13] reported that chronic marijuana use was related to a greater likelihood of marijuana dependence and substance abuse.…”

A Review of Cases of Marijuana and Violence

“…Kelley's first on-record interaction with law enforcement authorities was when he was arrested for possession of marijuana and, subsequently, expelled from his high school. Since then, the record shows that Kelley started using marijuana frequently, as well as developing mental health issues that would lead him to have problems in his employment with the United States Air Force and multiple instances where he abused his step-son and his wife at the time [11,12].…”

“…These are among the many nationally reported violent cases that have, among others factors, a common root to what led these young people to commit acts of violence at the detriment to society as a whole: the extensive use or abuse of marijuana. In recent years, many States within the United States, as well as some other countries around the world, have decriminalized or legalized the recreational use of marijuana [8,12,13,19].…”

“…However, it ended up worsening their conditions as time went by. What individuals are unaware of when it comes to self-medicating, is that the marijuana they consume does not have compounds that alleviate their pain or conditions; the marijuana they consume has many compounds that negatively alter their perceptions, which leads to worse conditions (Tables 2 and 3, [2,9,10,12,[39][40][41]).…”