Kids are more likely to use cannabis if their parents use it | Research

The takeaway

Parental cannabis use was associated with higher odds of cannabis initiation in adolescent offspring and continued use in young adult offspring, with having two cannabis-using parents linked to a seven-fold increase in use.

Parents who use cannabis, family researchers, and people interested in how legalization affects youth use patterns.

7.1x higher odds with two cannabis-using parents

What the researchers found

Grade 6 students whose parents reported past-year cannabis use were 1.8 times more likely to initiate cannabis during high school. In young adults, having one cannabis-using parent roughly doubled the odds of use, and having two cannabis-using parents increased odds 7.1-fold.

Why it matters

With cannabis legalization expanding, more parents may be open about their use. These findings suggest parental cannabis use is an independent risk factor for offspring use, regardless of whether mothers or fathers are the users.

The numbers in context

aOR for cannabis initiation with parental use: 1.8. aOR for adult offspring use with mother using: 2.8 (95% CI 1.4-5.8). Father using: 2.1 (95% CI 1.2-3.8). Two parents using: 7.1.

How the study worked

Two longitudinal studies in Montreal: AdoQuest followed 1,048 parent-child pairs from grade 6 through high school; the Nicotine Dependence in Teens study tracked 584 participants and their parents into adulthood (mean age 24). Both used multivariable logistic regression.

What this study cannot tell us

Observational design cannot prove causation. The studies were conducted in Montreal, which may not generalize to all populations. Parental use was self-reported and could be underestimated.

How to read the evidence

Moderate: two longitudinal cohort studies with reasonable sample sizes and multivariable adjustment, but observational design.

When this study was published

Published in 2019.

The bigger picture

This adds to the broader literature on how parental substance use shapes children's behavior. The effect appears consistent across adolescence and into young adulthood, suggesting it is not just a phase of teenage rebellion.

Questions still open

Is the association driven by genetics, shared environment, normalization of use, or some combination? Does the timing of parental disclosure matter? Would these patterns hold in jurisdictions with different cannabis policies?

Common questions

Does this mean parental cannabis use causes kids to use it?

Not necessarily. The study found an association, not causation. Genetics, shared environment, and social modeling could all play roles.

Did it matter if the mom or dad was the user?

Both maternal and paternal cannabis use were independently associated with offspring use, with similar effect sizes.

Read the original research

Parental Cannabis Use Is Associated with Cannabis Initiation and Use in Offspring.

The Journal of pediatrics, 206, 142-147.e1

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

O'Loughlin, Jennifer L; Dugas, Erika N; O'Loughlin, Erin K; Winickoff, Jonathan P; Montreuil, Annie; Wellman, Robert J; Sylvestre, Marie-Pierre; Hanusaik, Nancy. (2019). Parental Cannabis Use Is Associated with Cannabis Initiation and Use in Offspring.. The Journal of pediatrics, 206, 142-147.e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2018.10.057