Does Accessibility of Cannabis Mediate the Relation Between Method of Acquisition and Cannabis Use Frequency among Adolescents?

Abstract

Cannabis use frequency among adolescents is associated with negative outcomes. Two variables associated with cannabis use frequency are method of acquisition and accessibility of cannabis. Prior research on the relation between methods of acquisition and cannabis use frequency is sparse. Differences in cannabis use in states in which the sale of recreational cannabis is legal (recreational states) compared to states in which it is not warrants research on how adolescents acquire cannabis in recreational states, and how easy it is for them to do so. The primary way in which adolescents acquire cannabis and the ease by which they can acquire cannabis may be associated with cannabis use frequency via specific interactions. We hypothesized that primarily acquiring cannabis from a store would be positively associated with cannabis use frequency when compared to other primary methods of acquisition, and that accessibility would meditate relations between primary method of acquisition and cannabis use frequency. This study used data from high school students who completed the 2019 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey (HKCS) who reported using cannabis in the past 30 days. Results indicated that primary method of acquisition was significantly differentially associated with 30-day cannabis use frequency, with participants who reported buying cannabis at a store reporting significantly higher 30-day cannabis use frequency than any other method of acquisition. Ease of accessibility was not significantly associated with 30-day cannabis use frequency and did not significantly mediate the relation between primary method of acquisition and 30-day cannabis use frequency. Results of the current study indicate that the ways in which adolescents acquire cannabis are associated with how often they use it. Further, the positive relation between primarily acquiring cannabis at stores and frequency of use provide evidence that access to stores may be a risk factor for cannabis use frequency among adolescents.