Young Adults’ Attitudes Towards Marijuana Use

Authors

Abigail Strauss and Mary Martinasek


Published

2022

Introduction

Marijuana is categorized as an addictive substance that increases the likelihood of substance abuse in the future and is one of the most used illicit drugs in the United States. Marijuana use at a younger age increases the likelihood of continued use into young adulthood (Feeney & Kampman, 2016; Keyes et al., 2016; Friese, 2017). Young adults that use marijuana are more likely to introduce other peers and family members to the drug due to peer pressure, curiosity, or as a socialization tool. Thirty-eight percent of college students aged 19-22 reported using marijuana at least once in the past 12 months, and 21% reported using at least once in the past 30 days (Schulenberg et al., 2018). The rise in marijuana prevalence can be associated with the decline in young adults’ perceptions of the risk of harm from use. The rates of young adults’ marijuana use may fuctuate within different states due to increases in community usage and changes in the attitudes and stigmas surrounding the prevalence of use. Forty-three percent of young adults, both attending college and not, have been found to use marijuana. Within the past 5 years, there has been a 7% increase in college students’ marijuana use, and those who do not attend college are more likely to be frequent marijuana users (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2019).

 
 

Citations

Strauss, A. (2022). Young Adults’ Attitudes Towards Marijuana Use.