What Teens Were Saying About Marijuana on Twitter After Legalization
A content analysis of over 36,000 marijuana-related tweets found that most adolescent posts reflected positive attitudes, and tweets about personal use increased after two states legalized recreational cannabis.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Researchers analyzed a random sample of marijuana-related tweets from two periods: six months before and six months after the November 2012 U.S. election that legalized recreational cannabis in Colorado and Washington.
Among adolescent users, 65.6% of original tweets reflected a positive attitude toward marijuana, and 42.9% indicated personal use. Of tweets that mentioned parents, 36% suggested parental support for the adolescent's marijuana use.
Between the pre- and post-election periods, tweets about personal marijuana use increased, as did positive perceptions about the drug.
Key Numbers
71,901 total tweets collected. 36,969 original tweets analyzed. 1,928 tweets from self-identified adolescents. 65.6% of adolescent tweets showed positive attitudes toward marijuana. 42.9% indicated personal use. 36% of parent-mentioning tweets suggested parental approval.
How They Did This
The study collected a 1% random sample of all tweets matching marijuana-related search terms during two three-week windows (before and after the 2012 election). After excluding non-relevant and foreign-language tweets, 36,969 original tweets were analyzed using a structured codebook. Self-reported age was extracted from tweet metadata when available.
Why This Research Matters
Social media discussions can normalize substance use among young people. The finding that positive marijuana content increased after legalization raises questions about how policy changes shape public discourse and potentially influence adolescent attitudes toward cannabis.
The Bigger Picture
This study captures an early snapshot of how cannabis legalization influenced social media discourse. As more states and countries have since legalized cannabis, the normalization of positive marijuana content on social platforms has likely continued to evolve.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
The study relied on self-reported age, which is unreliable on Twitter. Only a 1% sample of tweets was captured. Content analysis cannot determine actual marijuana use behavior. The study cannot establish whether the increase in positive tweets caused changes in attitudes or behavior.
Questions This Raises
- ?Has the pattern of increasing positive cannabis content on social media continued as more states have legalized?
- ?Does exposure to pro-cannabis social media content influence adolescent decisions about marijuana use?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 65.6% of adolescent marijuana tweets reflected a positive attitude
- Evidence Grade:
- This is a cross-sectional content analysis of social media data. It describes patterns but cannot establish cause-and-effect relationships between legalization and attitudes.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2015, analyzing 2012-2013 data. Social media platforms and cannabis policies have changed substantially since then.
- Original Title:
- Prevalence of Marijuana-Related Traffic on Twitter, 2012-2013: A Content Analysis.
- Published In:
- Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking, 18(6), 311-9 (2015)
- Authors:
- Thompson, Leah, Rivara, Frederick P, Whitehill, Jennifer M(6)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-01069
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Did legalization cause more teens to talk positively about marijuana?
The study found an increase in positive tweets and personal use disclosures after legalization, but a content analysis cannot prove causation. Other factors may have contributed to the trend.
Does tweeting about marijuana mean teens are using it more?
Not necessarily. Social media posts reflect what people choose to share publicly, which may not accurately represent actual behavior. Some tweets may involve exaggeration or social signaling.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-01069APA
Thompson, Leah; Rivara, Frederick P; Whitehill, Jennifer M. (2015). Prevalence of Marijuana-Related Traffic on Twitter, 2012-2013: A Content Analysis.. Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking, 18(6), 311-9. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2014.0620
MLA
Thompson, Leah, et al. "Prevalence of Marijuana-Related Traffic on Twitter, 2012-2013: A Content Analysis.." Cyberpsychology, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2014.0620
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Prevalence of Marijuana-Related Traffic on Twitter, 2012-201..." RTHC-01069. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/thompson-2015-prevalence-of-marijuanarelated-traffic
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.