PERCEPTION OF HARM AND BENEFITS OF CANNABIS USE AMONG ADOLESCENTS FROM LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBE

Maria Inês Gandolfo Conceição,Narsha Modeste,Akwatu Khenti,Hayley Hamilton,Danladi Chiroma Husaini,Maria Fernanda Reyes Rodriguez,Jason Wynter,Patricia Cid Henriquez,Gaile Gray-Phillip,Carla Arena Ventura,Bruna Brands,Maria Gabriela Morgado Tapia,Karina Rivera Fierro,Marya Hynes,Guarionex Gomez Tavarez

doi:10.1590/1980-265x-tce-cicad-12-24

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: to investigate the perception of harms and benefits associated with cannabis use among adolescents and how regulatory changes might affect their intention to use marijuana. Method: this multi-centric cross-sectional survey study. participants included 2717 students aged 15-17 from 10 cities in Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Mexico, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago. Results: an average lifetime prevalence of cannabis use of 30.6% (25.8% past year, 15.8% past 30 days). Most participants reported that their closest friends use cannabis (60%); many (55%) stated that they would not use marijuana, even if it were legally available. Conclusion: statistics revealed that a strong perception of benefits, a low perception of risk, and friends’ use of cannabis were associated with individual use as well as intention to use within a hypothetical context of regulatory change.

Highlights

Regulatory changes on cannabis use in several countries have proved to be an ongoing struggle for global health policies
Some evidence suggests that decreased risk perception and increased availability explain the trend of increasing cannabis consumption among adolescents.[3,4]
The ten sites are located in nine countries that are at different stages in terms of regulatory changes with regard to cannabis use.[3]

Summary

Introduction

Regulatory changes on cannabis use in several countries have proved to be an ongoing struggle for global health policies. Some evidence suggests that decreased risk perception and increased availability explain the trend of increasing cannabis consumption among adolescents.[3,4] Studies have reported that when the perception of risk declines, the use of cannabis increases and vice versa.[5,6] Adolescents who perceived cannabis use as involving less risk were twice as likely to use marijuana.[7]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion