Hispanic Youth Marijuana Treatment Admissions Are Rising, Especially Among Girls
Hispanic youth marijuana treatment admissions increased from 1995 to 2012, with female admissions rising at greater rates than males, and the trend associated more with school/community referrals than severe drug use.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
This study tracked trends in Hispanic youth substance abuse treatment admissions for marijuana from 1995 to 2012 using national treatment data.
Hispanic youth marijuana admissions were associated with typical adolescent profiles: ages 15-17, in high school, and living in dependent situations (with parents or guardians).
A notable finding was that female Hispanic youth admissions increased at greater rates than male admissions over the study period. This gender shift suggests changing patterns in how marijuana use among Hispanic girls is detected and referred to treatment.
The results pointed to decreasing tolerance of minor marijuana use by schools and community agencies as a driver of admissions, rather than increasing severity of marijuana problems. This mirrors the broader youth trend of more admissions but less severe drug involvement.
Key Numbers
Data from 1995 to 2012. Admissions associated with ages 15-17, high school enrollment, dependent living. Female admissions increased at greater rates than male.
How They Did This
Analysis of national Treatment Episode Data Set-Admissions (TEDS-A) from SAMHSA examining Hispanic youth marijuana admissions from 1995 to 2012.
Why This Research Matters
Hispanic youth are an underrepresented group in substance use research. The faster growth in female admissions highlights a potential gap in culturally specific prevention and treatment services for Hispanic girls.
The Bigger Picture
The increasing female admissions among Hispanic youth parallel broader trends in narrowing gender gaps in substance use across the US. Culturally specific and gender-responsive treatment approaches may be needed to serve this growing population effectively.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Administrative data cannot capture cultural context, treatment outcomes, or whether treatment was appropriate for the severity level. Hispanic youth are a heterogeneous group encompassing many national origins and acculturation levels. Referral patterns may reflect institutional biases rather than actual use patterns.
Questions This Raises
- ?What explains the faster increase in Hispanic female admissions?
- ?Are culturally specific prevention programs more effective for Hispanic youth?
- ?Does the increasing school referral trend reflect genuine concern or zero-tolerance policies?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Hispanic female youth marijuana admissions grew faster than male admissions
- Evidence Grade:
- National administrative data analysis providing descriptive trends. Preliminary because it describes patterns without clinical detail or outcome data.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2017, covering 1995-2012 data.
- Original Title:
- A brief report on Hispanic youth marijuana use: Trends in substance abuse treatment admissions in the United States.
- Published In:
- Journal of ethnicity in substance abuse, 16(2), 155-164 (2017)
- Authors:
- Marzell, Miesha(2), Sahker, Ethan(2), Pro, George, Arndt, Stephan
- Database ID:
- RTHC-01453
Evidence Hierarchy
Watches what happens naturally without intervening.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Are more Hispanic teens using marijuana?
Treatment admissions increased, but similar to the broader youth trend, this likely reflects lower referral thresholds by schools and communities rather than necessarily increasing use. The severity of drug involvement has been decreasing.
Why are more Hispanic girls entering marijuana treatment?
Female Hispanic youth admissions grew faster than male admissions from 1995-2012. The reasons may include increased detection of marijuana use among girls, changing gender norms, or shifts in school and community referral patterns.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-01453APA
Marzell, Miesha; Sahker, Ethan; Pro, George; Arndt, Stephan. (2017). A brief report on Hispanic youth marijuana use: Trends in substance abuse treatment admissions in the United States.. Journal of ethnicity in substance abuse, 16(2), 155-164. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332640.2015.1108256
MLA
Marzell, Miesha, et al. "A brief report on Hispanic youth marijuana use: Trends in substance abuse treatment admissions in the United States.." Journal of ethnicity in substance abuse, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332640.2015.1108256
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "A brief report on Hispanic youth marijuana use: Trends in su..." RTHC-01453. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/marzell-2017-a-brief-report-on
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.