Clinicians Report Increased Teen Cannabis Use, Higher Potency Products, and More Hyperemesis After Legalization
Thirty-two clinicians across multiple specialties described post-legalization increases in adolescent cannabis use, uptake of high-potency products, cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, and cannabis-related psychosis, alongside decreased perceived harms and more permissive parenting.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Clinicians reported post-RCL increases in adolescent cannabis use, non-combustible modes and high-potency products, younger first use ages, and self-medication. They described shifts in social norms, appealing marketing, easier access, fewer perceived harms, greater parental permissiveness, more cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, increased psychosis, and decreased court-mandated treatment.
Key Numbers
32 clinicians interviewed (56.3% female, mean age 45.9 years, 65.3% non-Hispanic White). Four specialties represented: Addiction Medicine (n=13), Psychiatry (n=7), Pediatrics (n=5), Emergency (n=7). Interviews conducted September 6 to December 21, 2022.
How They Did This
Semi-structured qualitative interviews with 32 clinicians from Addiction Medicine (n=13), Psychiatry/Mental Health (n=7), Pediatrics (n=5), and Emergency Department (n=7) in Kaiser Permanente from September-December 2022. Thematic analysis of transcribed interviews.
Why This Research Matters
Clinicians across specialties are observing a consistent pattern of adolescent cannabis-related changes post-legalization that quantitative studies have been slow to capture. Their perspectives on high-potency products, psychosis, and parental permissiveness provide early clinical signals that deserve population-level investigation.
The Bigger Picture
The combination of decreased court-mandated treatment and increased permissive parenting suggests that the formal and informal systems that previously motivated adolescent cannabis treatment are weakening post-legalization. This creates a gap where problematic use may go unaddressed longer.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Clinician perspectives are subjective and may reflect selection bias (clinicians who see the most severe cases). The sample is from one healthcare organization in California. Without quantitative data, it is impossible to determine the actual magnitude of the changes described.
Questions This Raises
- ?Do quantitative data confirm the increases in CHS and psychosis that clinicians report?
- ?Has the elimination of court-mandated treatment measurably decreased adolescent treatment engagement?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Clinicians from all 4 specialties reported increased adolescent cannabis use and high-potency product adoption
- Evidence Grade:
- Preliminary: systematic qualitative study across multiple clinical specialties, but relies on clinician perceptions without quantitative confirmation.
- Study Age:
- 2024 study using 2022 interview data.
- Original Title:
- Clinician perspectives on adolescent cannabis-related beliefs and behaviors following recreational cannabis legalization.
- Published In:
- Addictive behaviors, 156, 108046 (2024)
- Authors:
- Young-Wolff, Kelly C(42), Does, Monique B(24), Mian, Maha N(8), Sterling, Stacy A, Satre, Derek D, Campbell, Cynthia I, Silver, Lynn D, Alexeeff, Stacey E, Cunningham, Sarah F, Asyyed, Asma, Altschuler, Andrea
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05842
Evidence Hierarchy
Uses interviews or focus groups to understand experiences in depth.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
What specific changes did clinicians see in teens?
Clinicians described teens using cannabis at younger ages, gravitating toward high-potency products like concentrates and vape pens, and increasingly viewing cannabis as benign. They also noted more teens presenting with cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome and cannabis-related psychosis.
How did legalization affect parents?
Clinicians reported that many parents increased their own cannabis use post-legalization and became more permissive about their children's use. Some parents were described as not viewing adolescent cannabis use as problematic, making clinical conversations more challenging.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05842APA
Young-Wolff, Kelly C; Does, Monique B; Mian, Maha N; Sterling, Stacy A; Satre, Derek D; Campbell, Cynthia I; Silver, Lynn D; Alexeeff, Stacey E; Cunningham, Sarah F; Asyyed, Asma; Altschuler, Andrea. (2024). Clinician perspectives on adolescent cannabis-related beliefs and behaviors following recreational cannabis legalization.. Addictive behaviors, 156, 108046. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2024.108046
MLA
Young-Wolff, Kelly C, et al. "Clinician perspectives on adolescent cannabis-related beliefs and behaviors following recreational cannabis legalization.." Addictive behaviors, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2024.108046
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Clinician perspectives on adolescent cannabis-related belief..." RTHC-05842. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/young-wolff-2024-clinician-perspectives-on-adolescent
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.