Kids are more likely to use cannabis if their parents use it
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.
Quick Facts
What This Study 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.
Key Numbers
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 They Did This
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.
Why This Research 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 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.
What This Study Doesn't 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.
Questions This Raises
- ?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?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 7.1x higher odds with two cannabis-using parents
- Evidence Grade:
- Moderate: two longitudinal cohort studies with reasonable sample sizes and multivariable adjustment, but observational design.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2019.
- Original Title:
- Parental Cannabis Use Is Associated with Cannabis Initiation and Use in Offspring.
- Published In:
- The Journal of pediatrics, 206, 142-147.e1 (2019)
- Authors:
- O'Loughlin, Jennifer L(2), Dugas, Erika N(2), O'Loughlin, Erin K(2), Winickoff, Jonathan P, Montreuil, Annie, Wellman, Robert J, Sylvestre, Marie-Pierre, Hanusaik, Nancy
- Database ID:
- RTHC-02208
Evidence Hierarchy
Follows a group of people over time to track how outcomes develop.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked 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 More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02208APA
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
MLA
O'Loughlin, Jennifer L, et al. "Parental Cannabis Use Is Associated with Cannabis Initiation and Use in Offspring.." The Journal of pediatrics, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2018.10.057
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Parental Cannabis Use Is Associated with Cannabis Initiation..." RTHC-02208. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/o-loughlin-2019-parental-cannabis-use-is
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.