Bias-Based Bullying Linked to Much Higher Cannabis Use Among Minority Youth

Among 82,933 Minnesota students, regular cannabis use prevalence was dramatically higher among youth with minoritized identities who experienced bias-based bullying compared to peers with the same identities who did not. For example, 18% of 8th graders who had low resources, identified as American Indian/Alaska Native/multiracial, and experienced SOGIE-based bullying used cannabis regularly, versus 6.8% of similar youth without bullying. This 50-68% reduction in cannabis use among non-bullied youth held across grades.

Cross-sectional analysis of the 2022 Minnesota Student Survey (8th, 9th, and 11th graders, N=82,933). Used exhaustive CHAID (Chi-square automatic interaction detection) to identify combinations of social positions and bullying experiences associated with highest cannabis use prevalence.

This reframes adolescent cannabis use as partially driven by discrimination experiences rather than purely individual risk factors. It suggests that anti-bullying interventions could have downstream effects on substance use, particularly for youth with multiple minoritized identities.

Substance use prevention typically focuses on individual decision-making. This research suggests that structural factors like bias-based bullying create environments that drive cannabis use among the most marginalized youth.

Cross-sectional design cannot establish causality. Self-report data. Minnesota-specific sample may not generalize nationally. Binary bullying measure (any vs none) does not capture severity or frequency.