Emerging adults perceived daily cannabis use as significantly more harmful for 14-year-olds than for 21- or 28-year-olds, with no differences based on consumer sex.
Public health educators, cannabis prevention researchers, and youth health policymakers.
1,424 emerging adultssurveyed, finding significant age-based differences in perceived cannabis harm but no sex-based differences
What the researchers found
Age of the cannabis consumer significantly affected harm perceptions on 6 of 7 measures, with 14-year-old use rated as more dangerous. However, emerging adults saw little difference in harm between 21- and 28-year-old use except for brain development effects.
Why it matters
Understanding how young adults perceive cannabis risks at different ages can help target education campaigns, especially since they underestimate risks for their own age group.
The numbers in context
1,424 Canadian emerging adults (ages 18-25, mean 21.23) randomly assigned to vignettes varying by consumer age (14, 21, 28) and sex (male, female). Main effect of age on 6 of 7 items. No main effects of sex.
How the study worked
Experimental vignette study with 2x3 factorial design (age x sex of cannabis consumer) using seven single-item measures of perceived harm among Canadian emerging adults.
Who was studied
1,424 Canadian emerging adults aged 18-25 (mean age 21.23) surveyed post-legalization.
What this study cannot tell us
Single-item measures may not capture nuanced attitudes. Vignette-based design may not reflect real-world judgment. Canadian sample post-legalization may not generalize to other contexts.
How to read the evidence
Experimental vignette design provides controlled comparison but uses hypothetical scenarios rather than real-world behavior.
When this study was published
Post-legalization study of Canadian emerging adults.
The bigger picture
While emerging adults correctly identify greater risks for adolescents, they may underestimate cannabis harms for their own age group, creating a gap that education campaigns should address.
Replication
Post-legalization Canadian context; cross-cultural replication would be valuable.
Funding
Not specified in abstract
Conflicts of interest
Not specified in abstract
Questions still open
- Would perceptions differ in countries where cannabis is not legalized?
- Can education campaigns effectively shift emerging adult perceptions of same-age cannabis risks?
Read the original research
Emerging Adult Perceptions of Cannabis Consumption Post-Legalization: Considering Age and Sex Differences.
The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 72(3), 404-411
Citation
Harris-Lane, Laura M; Drakes, Dalainey H; Donnan, Jennifer R; Rowe, Emily C; Bishop, Lisa D; Harris, Nick. (2023). Emerging Adult Perceptions of Cannabis Consumption Post-Legalization: Considering Age and Sex Differences.. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 72(3), 404-411. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2022.10.008