Disentangling longitudinal relations between youth cannabis use, peer cannabis use, and conduct problems: developmental cascading links to cannabis use disorder

Abstract

Aims To determine whether cannabis use during adolescence can increase risk not only for cannabis use disorder (CUD) but also for conduct problems, potentially mediated by exposure to peers who use cannabis. Design, Setting, Participants Longitudinal study analyzing four waves of longitudinal data from 364 racially and socio‐economically diverse, urban, US community youth (at baseline: Mage = 13.51 (0.95); 49.1% female). Measurements Self‐reports of cannabis use, conduct problems, proportion of peers using cannabis and CUD criteria at the final wave were analyzed using a method sensitive to changes over development, the random‐intercept cross‐lagged panel model. Findings Change in cannabis use did not predict changes in conduct problems or peer cannabis use over time, controlling for gender, race–ethnicity and socio‐economic status. Instead, increases in conduct problems predicted increases in cannabis use and ultimately CUD, with some of the effect mediated by increases in the prevalence of peer cannabis use [β = 0.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.07, 0.20]. Additionally, affiliation with peers who used cannabis predicted subsequent CUD via increased personal cannabis use (β = 0.08, 95% CI = 0.04, 0.14). Significant within‐person betas for the cross‐lagged effects ranged between 0.20 and 0.27. Conclusions Cannabis use in adolescence does not appear to lead to greater conduct problems or association with cannabis‐using peers apart from pre‐existing conduct problems. Instead, adolescents who (1) increasingly affiliate with cannabis‐using peers or (2) have increasing levels of conduct problems are more likely to use cannabis, and this cascading chain of events appears to predict cannabis use disorder in emerging adulthood.

Examining the impact of the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic period on youth cannabis use: adjusted annual changes between the pre-COVID and initial COVID-lockdown waves of the COMPASS study

“…However, we cannot assume the same among youth since substance use tends to escalate during adolescence as patterns of use become more established [ 4 , 6 ]. Yet, it has also been suggested that since drug use among youth often happens in the context of peers [ 33 ], there may be a different response among youth given lockdown and social distancing restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic [ 34 ]. This notion of a differential impact among youth is supported with a recent study from a small cross-sectional online sample of youth aged 16 to 18 years in Ontario (Canada) suggesting that the prevalence of cannabis use decreased 3 weeks after social distancing measures came into effect [ 15 ].…”

“…Interestingly, although research suggests males are more likely to escalate cannabis use relative to females during high school [ 4 ], we identified that during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic period, females appeared more apt to maintain (or escalate) use relative to males across all cannabis use outcomes modelled. While it cannot be determined with these data, it is possible that cannabis use among males may be more socially driven than among females [ 33 , 34 ]. Given evidence that youth who reduce their cannabis are more likely to binge drink [ 6 ], and cannabis use tends to co-occur with alcohol and vaping among youth [ 6 , 35 ], it is also possible that male youth may have transitioned between substances during the initial pandemic period.…”

Social influence in adolescence as a double-edged sword

“…Social influence among adolescents is often associated with increased risk taking and negative outcomes (e.g. crime, alcohol abuse, taking drugs and having unprotected sex [7][8][9][10]). In the long term, running with the wrong crowd can consequently set people on negative developmental trajectories, with grave implications for health, education, social and economic success, and general well-being [5,6].…”

Less adolescent alcohol and cannabis use: More deviant user groups?

“…Numerous studies show that adolescent substance use is linked to involvement in other problem behaviours [7–11], which in part may reflect differential selection processes. Indeed, longitudinal research provides evidence that individuals with a pre‐existing tendency to violate behavioural norms are more likely to start drinking early, to drink heavily and to experiment with illicit drugs [12–17]. Some scholars have theorised that the clustering of substance use and other problem behaviours is a manifestation of a general deviance syndrome, reflecting shared underlying influences such as dispositional impulsivity [18] or weak self‐control [19].…”