Sex Differences in Marijuana Use in the United States

Abstract

Marijuana and other cannabis preparations are the most widely used illicit drugs in the United States. A review of the literature reveals a number of sex differences in the epidemiology and adverse medical consequences of marijuana use. In 1995, 6.5% of females and 10.5% of males aged 12 and older reported marijuana use in the previous year. Although 4% more males than females used marijuana, the percentage of males using marijuana between 1994 and 1995 had decreased, whereas the percentage of females using marijuana during that same period had increased. Among females, the age of initiation of use is declining and the prevalence of problems with marijuana is on the rise. Both male and female marijuana users may experience adverse effects of cognitive dysfunction and airway inflammation. However, clinicians should be aware of sex-specific effects of marijuana use, including a possible increased risk of prostate cancer for male users and possible adverse effects on reproductive hormones in female users. Review of the available information on this topic indicates that we have much more to learn about the similarities and differences between males and females with respect to patterns of use, adverse consequences, and vulnerabilities to marijuana.

Measuring cannabis consumption: Psychometric properties of the Daily Sessions, Frequency, Age of Onset, and Quantity of Cannabis Use Inventory (DFAQ-CU)

“…The use of a predominantly female sample is problematic because typically males are more likely to use cannabis, are more likely to become dependent upon cannabis, and to initiate cannabis use at a younger age [41]. However, there is evidence that the gender gap in cannabis use is decreasing [42, 43]. Also college students are a commonly targeted demographic for examining the chronic and residual effects of cannabis, in part because young adults are the most common group to use cannabis [3].…”

Transgenerational consequences of adolescent morphine exposure in female rats: effects on anxiety-like behaviors and morphine sensitization in adult offspring

“…In addition, the use of other opiates, such as Oxycontin and Vicodin, also appears to be increasing in adolescents (Johnson and Gerstein 1998;Johnston et al 2004a,b). While in the past, substance abuse disorders were more prevalent in adolescent boys than girls, recent epidemiological data indicate a trend toward similar rates of use for several drugs, including opiates (Greenfield and O'Leary 1999;Greenfield et al 2003). This is especially true at younger ages (eighth and tenth grade), suggesting that early and middle adolescence may be a period of increased vulnerability to substance abuse in girls (National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University 2003).…”

Psychosocial Determinants of Marijuana Utilization among Selected Junior High School Students in the Central Region of Ghana

“…[58]. Even though the current trend in male dominant marijuana usage is reversing [11,21,26,27], it is possible that males and females with same access to marijuana may initiate usage at comparable rates [25]. Some local researchers, Doku et al [69] have posited that in Ghana, smoking has been declining in the past few decades and the decline was faster among boys than girls.…”