Cannabis use among US adults with children at home increased with both medical and recreational legalization
Among 287,624 US adults with children in the home (2004-2017), cannabis use was higher in states with recreational laws (11.9% past-month, 4.2% daily) than medical-only states (9.3%, 3.2%) or non-legal states (6.1%, 2.3%).
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Recreational cannabis laws were associated with higher past-month use (AOR=1.28) and daily use (AOR=1.25) among adults with children. Medical laws also increased use (AOR=1.12 past-month, AOR=1.16 daily). Recreational legalization increased use broadly across demographics, while medical legalization effects were concentrated among adults 50+ and higher socioeconomic groups.
Key Numbers
N=287,624; 2017 past-month use: 11.9% (RML), 9.3% (MML), 6.1% (no legal); daily use: 4.2% (RML), 3.2% (MML), 2.3% (no legal); RML AOR=1.28 past-month, 1.25 daily; MML AOR=1.12 past-month, 1.16 daily; MML effects strongest in adults 50+ and high SES
How They Did This
Difference-in-difference analysis of 2004-2017 NSDUH data (n=287,624 adults with children in the home). Compared cannabis use across states with recreational laws, medical laws, and no legal cannabis, adjusting for demographics and state-level tobacco control.
Why This Research Matters
Cannabis use by adults with children in the home raises questions about secondhand exposure, safe storage, and parenting while impaired. Understanding how legalization affects this specific population helps inform family-focused policies.
The Bigger Picture
The finding that recreational legalization increases use broadly while medical legalization affects mainly older, higher-SES adults suggests different populations respond to different policy signals, requiring tailored public health approaches.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Repeated cross-sectional data, not individual-level longitudinal tracking. Self-reported cannabis use likely underestimated. State-level policy is a proxy for individual-level access. Cannot control for all state-level confounders.
Questions This Raises
- ?Does increased parental cannabis use translate to increased pediatric exposure incidents?
- ?Are there protective factors within families that moderate the risk of child harm?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 11.9% past-month use in recreational states vs. 6.1% in non-legal states among parents
- Evidence Grade:
- Large nationally representative sample with rigorous difference-in-difference methodology and multiple years of data.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2021 using 2004-2017 NSDUH data.
- Original Title:
- Trends in cannabis use among adults with children in the home in the United States, 2004-2017: impact of state-level legalization for recreational and medical use.
- Published In:
- Addiction (Abingdon, England), 116(10), 2770-2778 (2021)
- Authors:
- Goodwin, Renee D(6), Kim, June H, Cheslack-Postava, Keely(3), Weinberger, Andrea H, Wu, Melody, Wyka, Katarzyna, Kattan, Meyer
- Database ID:
- RTHC-03165
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Do parents use more cannabis in legal states?
Yes. Past-month cannabis use among adults with children was nearly twice as high in recreational states (11.9%) as in non-legal states (6.1%). Daily use was also higher (4.2% vs. 2.3%).
Did legalization affect all parents equally?
Recreational legalization increased use broadly across demographics. Medical legalization had more targeted effects, primarily increasing use among adults over 50 and those with higher income and education.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-03165APA
Goodwin, Renee D; Kim, June H; Cheslack-Postava, Keely; Weinberger, Andrea H; Wu, Melody; Wyka, Katarzyna; Kattan, Meyer. (2021). Trends in cannabis use among adults with children in the home in the United States, 2004-2017: impact of state-level legalization for recreational and medical use.. Addiction (Abingdon, England), 116(10), 2770-2778. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.15472
MLA
Goodwin, Renee D, et al. "Trends in cannabis use among adults with children in the home in the United States, 2004-2017: impact of state-level legalization for recreational and medical use.." Addiction (Abingdon, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.15472
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Trends in cannabis use among adults with children in the hom..." RTHC-03165. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/goodwin-2021-trends-in-cannabis-use
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.