Attitudes and beliefs about recreational cannabis legalization among cannabis-using young adults in Los Angeles: Impact on concurrent cannabis practices and problematic cannabis use

Abstract

BackgroundThis study investigated differences in attitudes and beliefs about recreational cannabis legalization (RCL) among cannabis-using young adults comprised of medical cannabis patients (MCP) and non-patient users (NPU). We further investigated whether these variations are associated with concurrent cannabis practices and problematic use. MethodCannabis-using young adults (N = 301) were interviewed between 2017 and 2018 – after RCL and through the early months after storefront sales began. Latent class analysis empirically derived groups based on participants’ attitudes/beliefs about the impact of RCL. Socio-demographic factors, patient status, medicinal and/or recreational use, and social norms differentiated latent class memberships, while concurrent cannabis practices and problematic use served as distal outcomes. The manual Bolck, Croon, and Hagenaars (BCH) three-step process modeled all covariates and distal outcomes simultaneously in the final LCA solution. ResultsThree patterns emerged: Impacted (RCL had broad impact on attitudes/beliefs) (n = 113), Partially-Impacted (RCL had some impact on attitudes/beliefs) (n = 131) and Neutral (RCL had no/limited impact) (n = 57). MCP were more likely to be Neutral than Partially-Impacted users while those who reported recreational cannabis use were more likely to be Impacted than Neutral users. Class membership predicted cannabis practices and problematic use with Impacted individuals reporting the greatest recent days of use, number of hits per day, and highest scores in problematic cannabis use compared to Partially-Impacted and Neutral users. ConclusionVariability in attitudes/beliefs about RCL served as strong drivers of concurrent cannabis practices and problematic use. Findings provide an important baseline for tracking attitudes/beliefs’ long-term health and substance use impact as retail cannabis sales evolve.