Prevalence Of Marijuana Research Articles

A National Survey of Marijuana Use Among U.S. Adults According to Obesity Status, 2016-2022.

Background and Objective: Research has linked marijuana use with lower body mass index (BMI). The current study explores the correlation between marijuana use on BMI in the general U.S. population. It reports the prevalence of marijuana in adults in relation to BMI, overall and across the levels of important variables. Materials and Methods: This study used a probability sample of U.S. adults 18 years of age and older from the 2016 through 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a telephone-administered survey. The survey collects data from a representative sample regarding health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services. The primary outcome variables are current (at least once in the last 30 days) and daily (at least 20 of the last 30 days) marijuana use. Results: The study sample consists of 735,921 participants in the surveys that completed the optional module on marijuana use. Prevalence of marijuana use in adults doubled during the study period (7.48% to 14.91%). The increase directly corresponds with a shift toward legalization of medical and recreational marijuana. On average, the prevalence of use is 9% higher when medical marijuana is legal and 81% higher when recreational marijuana is legal (vs. not legal). For obese individuals, prevalence of current marijuana use is 35% lower than for nonobese individuals on average. Lower prevalence of marijuana use in obese individuals is consistently observed across the levels of certain demographic variables, employment status, tobacco smoking history, marijuana legalization status, and certain medical conditions (asthma, arthritis, and depression). In 2022, the adjusted odds of current or daily marijuana use are significantly lower and similar among obese (vs. non-obese) (0.68, 0.69, respectively), such that reduced obesity does not require daily use. Similarly, the adjusted odds of current marijuana use decrease in similar fashion to daily marijuana use with higher BMI weight classification. Conclusion: Marijuana use is correlated with lower BMI. As legalization and prevalence of the drug in the U.S. increases, the prevalence of obesity may decline. However, clinicians should view this outcome along with the known health risks associated with marijuana use.

Racial Disparities in Patterns and Modes of Current and Daily Marijuana Use among Adults Living with Children.

This study sought to examine racial disparities in marijuana use among U.S. adults living with children. Data are drawn from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to examine the prevalence of current (past month) and frequent (≥20 days in the last 30 days) marijuana use along with the mode of marijuana use by 7 racial and ethnic groups (non-Hispanic [NH] White, NH-Black, Hispanic, NH American Indian or Alaskan Native [AI/AN], NH-Asian, NH Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander only [NH/PI], and other/multiple races, n=22,659). Compared to NH White adults with children, NH Black adults had a higher prevalence of current marijuana use (23.1% vs. 16.9%, p=0.003) and NH AI/AN adults had two times higher prevalence of frequent use (17.3% vs. 8.4%, p=0.0003). Adults living in recreational marijuana legal states (vs. no) were also more likely to report marijuana use, and there were significant age × race/ethnicity and education × race/ethnicity interactions (p<0.05) on marijuana use. Regarding the mode of use, racial minority users except Asians also reported a higher prevalence of smoking marijuana than their White counterparts. Substantial racial disparities in marijuana use patterns among adults who live with children highlight a potential risk for adolescents' health. Addressing these differences is essential for promoting equitable health outcomes in diverse communities.

Higher Neighborhood Crime Rates Don't Always Predict Early Initiation of Tobacco, Marijuana, and Alcohol.

The initiation of substance use during adolescence is a significant public health concern with long-term implications. Structural and environmental factors, such as community-level crime statistics related to drug offenses, are often assumed to influence the likelihood of substance use among youth. However, the relationship between these environmental crime indicators and early substance use initiation in adolescents is not well understood. This study aims to examine the association between environmental drug-related crime statistics-derived from Uniform Crime Reports, including drug abuse violations, drug sales, marijuana sales, drug possession, and driving under the influence (DUI)-and the use of tobacco, marijuana, and alcohol among adolescents aged 9-16 in the United States. Data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, which follows a cohort of adolescents from ages 9-10 to 16, were analyzed. 11,878 participants entered our analysis. The primary environmental measures included total drug abuse violations, drug sale offenses, marijuana sale offenses, drug possession offenses, and DUI reports. Substance use outcomes of interest were the frequency and prevalence of tobacco, marijuana, and alcohol use across the observed age range. Contrary to expectations, higher levels of drug-related crime in a community were not associated with increased use of tobacco, marijuana, or alcohol among adolescents. In fact, the study found a significant inverse relationship between the total number of drug-related crimes and tobacco use, suggesting lower tobacco use in areas with higher reported drug abuse violations, drug sales, marijuana sales, drug possession, and DUI incidents. No significant associations were observed between these crime indicators and the use of marijuana or alcohol. These findings challenge the prevailing assumption that higher environmental drug-related crime statistics necessarily predict greater substance use among adolescents. The observed inverse relationship between drug-related crime and tobacco use warrants further investigation to understand the underlying mechanisms and to inform targeted intervention strategies. Future research should explore the complex interplay between structural environmental factors and youth substance use to better inform public health policies.

Urban Violence, Migration and Alcohol, Tobacco, and Marijuana Use among Transnational Students in Northern Mexico.

This article reports on the findings of a study of the relationship between transnational experiences in the United States (US) and the use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana among 7th grade students (n = 1418). The study was guided by a cross-national framework for research on immigrant health and assessed the accumulation of risk factors for transnational adolescents. Data came from a survey conducted in 2017 in Nogales, Mexico. In this study, the last 30-day prevalence of use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana among students was 21.7%, 8.3%, and 2.4%, respectively. Most students were born in Nogales (69.6%), while 10.5% were born in the US, 7.5% attended school in the US, and 3.6% engaged in health-related risk behaviors while living in or visiting the US. Students with transnational experiences, such as attending school in the US, reported the highest 30-day prevalence of tobacco (13.3%) and marijuana (9.5%) use. After adjusting for family, school, access to substances and neighborhood violence variables, students who engaged in health-related risk behavior in the US had significantly increased odds of alcohol and marijuana use while later attending school in Mexico. The article discusses the findings from a prevention science perspective and provides implications for policy, practice, and future research on the Mexico-US border region.

Patterns of Alcohol, Marijuana, and Tobacco Use Among U.S. Adolescents and Young Adults by Disability Status: 2015–2019

PurposeTo estimate the national prevalence of tobacco, marijuana, and alcohol use among U.S. adolescents (age 12–17) and young adults (aged 18–25; adolescents and young adults [AYAs]) with a disability and examine associations between disability and substance use from 2015 to 2019. MethodsData from the 2015–2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health were used to estimate the prevalence of tobacco, marijuana, and alcohol use among AYAs with disabilities. Modified Poisson regression models evaluated linear time trends in past-month substance use and estimated adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) for past-month cigarette, any tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use. ResultsAdolescents with any disability had a higher prevalence of past-month cigarette (aPR = 1.87; 95% CI 1.67–2.09), alcohol (aPR = 1.21; 95% CI 1.11–1.31), and marijuana use (aPR = 1.47; 95% CI 1.36–1.60) compared to those without disabilities. Cigarette smoking among adolescents decreased over this time period; however, the decline among adolescents without a disability was greater than those with any disability. Young adults with any disability had a higher prevalence of past-month cigarette (aPR = 1.42; 95% CI 1.35–1.48) and marijuana use (aPR = 1.39; 95% CI 1.34–1.45), but a lower prevalence of past-month alcohol use (aPR = 0.93; 95% CI 0.90–0.95) than those without disabilities. Alcohol use remained constant among young adults with any disability but decreased for those without disabilities. DiscussionPopulation-level disparities in cigarette and marijuana use exist in AYAs with disabilities. Future studies should identify strategies tailored to AYAs with disabilities to encourage smoking cessation and prevent cannabis use disorder.

Assessment of prevalence, predictors, reasons and regulations of substance smoking among children in Ghana

BackgroundIn Ghana, it is against the law for children to smoke. Nevertheless, a portion of children in the country do smoke. However, there is a paucity of research on young smokers in Ghana and other sub-Saharan African nations. This study, therefore, investigated the prevalence of smoking, the kinds of substances children smoke, predictors of smoking, reasons for and factors that lead children to smoke, and regulation of smoking among children in Ghana.MethodsIn total, 5024 children aged 8–17 were studied using a cross-sectional convergent parallel mixed method. Descriptive statistics, Person’s Chi-square test, Fisher Exact test, and binary logistic regression were used to analyse the quantitative data. In contrast, thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data.ResultsThe results showed that 3.2% of children had ever smoked. Male children smoked more often than female children. The prevalence of cigarette, marijuana, and shisha smoking was 78.3%, 18%, and 3.7%, respectively. While more male children than female children smoked cigarettes and marijuana, more female children than male children used shisha. Children mainly smoked for fun and due to group culture. In addition, children were influenced by friends; parents, family members, and neighbours who smoke; curiosity; and advertisements and videos to initiate smoking. Despite the availability of regulations and laws regulating tobacco products in public places, tobacco advertisement, promotion, and sale to persons under 18, children are still smoking.ConclusionsChildren who have ever engaged in smoking reported using cigarettes, marijuana, and shisha. Policymakers urgently need to strategise and strengthen their policies, programmes, and interventions to address smoking among children.

Concurrent Hookah (Waterpipe) and Substance Use among Sexual Minority Adults in the United States: Findings from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study

Despite higher rates of hookah (i.e., waterpipe) tobacco smoking among sexual minority (SM) adults, little is known on concurrent substance use, including alcohol or other drugs, among SM hookah smokers as compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Utilizing data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study (2013–2015), weighted analyses compared concurrent substance use among current SM adult hookah smokers versus heterosexuals. Findings revealed that SM hookah smokers had a higher prevalence of concurrent alcohol, marijuana and other drug use, including stimulants and sedatives, than heterosexuals (p &lt; 0.05). As compared to heterosexuals, SM women and young adult (18–24 years old) smokers had higher odds of marijuana use (Women: Wave 1 odds ratio (OR), 2.16, [95% CI = 1.30–3.60]; Wave 2 OR, 2.67 [95% CI = 1.36–5.25]); young adults: Wave 1 OR, 1.55, [95% CI = 0.99–2.43]; Wave 2 OR, 2.19, [95% CI = 1.22–3.94]). In this population-based, representative sample of U.S. adults, concurrent hookah smoking and substance use differed between SM and heterosexuals. Sexual minority women and young adult hookah tobacco smokers were at increased risk for concurrent marijuana use, increasing the risk for health-related consequences in this group vulnerable to tobacco and substance use.

Hopelessness, Suicidality, and Co-Occurring Substance Use among Adolescent Hallucinogen Users-A National Survey Study.

(1) Objectives: Hallucinogens are being explored as a potential treatment of psychiatric disorders. Micro dosing of illicitly purchased hallucinogen drugs is on the rise despite conclusive benefits. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and odds of hopelessness, suicidality, and co-occurring substance use among adolescent hallucinogen users. (2) Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) 2001-2019 data that nationally represents school-going US adolescents. We identified hallucinogen use based on the survey questions, exploring the use of hallucinogens (LSD, PCP, mescaline, and mushrooms). (3) Results: Out of a total of 125,550 respondents, 8.4% reported using hallucinogens. Overall, the trend of hallucinogen use decreased from 13.3% (2001) to 7.0% (2019) (pTrend &lt; 0.0001). Hallucinogen users were at high odds of feeling sad and hopeless (aOR: 1.40; 95%CI: 1.21-1.61; p &lt; 0.0001), considering suicide (aOR: 1.36; 95%CI: 1.08-1.70; p = 0.009), and planning suicide (aOR: 1.49; 95%CI: 1.19-1.86; p = 0.001). Additionally, adolescent hallucinogen users had a higher prevalence of alcohol, cigarette, e-cigarette, marijuana, synthetic marijuana, inhalants, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and ecstasy use. (4) Conclusions: The overall trend of hallucinogen use decreased among school-going American adolescents. We found a high prevalence of co-occurring substance use among hallucinogen users. We found that hallucinogen users were at high odds of feeling sad, hopeless, and considering and planning suicide. Further research is needed to explore the effects of recreational hallucinogen use among the adolescent population.

Simultaneous Alcohol and Marijuana Use Among Young Adults: A Scoping Review of Prevalence, Patterns, Psychosocial Correlates, and Consequences.

BACKGROUNDAlcohol and marijuana are commonly used by young adults, and use of both substances, particularly at the same time, is prevalent among this population. Understanding the prevalence, patterns, correlates, and consequences of simultaneous alcohol and marijuana (SAM) use is important to inform interventions. However, this literature is complicated by myriad terms used to describe SAM use, including use with overlapping effects and same-day co-use.OBJECTIVESThis scoping review identifies and describes the peer-reviewed literature focused on SAM use by young adults and distinguishes simultaneous use from same-day co-use of alcohol and marijuana. This review also provides a narrative summary of the prevalence of SAM use, patterns of SAM and other substance use, psychosocial correlates, and consequences of SAM use.ELIGIBILITY CRITERIAThis review is limited to papers written in English and published in peer-reviewed journals between January 2000 and August 2021. It includes papers assessing simultaneous use or same-day co-use of alcohol and marijuana among young adults ages 18 to 30. Review papers, qualitative interviews, experimental lab studies, policy work, toxicology or medical reports, and papers focused on neurological outcomes are excluded.SOURCES OF EVIDENCEPubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases were searched. Databases were selected and the search strategy developed in consultation with an information specialist.CHARTING METHODSA data charting form was utilized to specify which information would be extracted from included papers. Eight categories of data were extracted: (1) research questions and hypotheses; (2) sample characteristics; (3) study procedures; (4) definition of SAM use; (5) prevalence of SAM use; (6) patterns of SAM and other substance use; (7) psychosocial correlates of SAM use; and (8) consequences of SAM use.RESULTSA total of 1,282 papers were identified through initial search terms. Through double-blind title/abstract screening and full-text review, the review was narrowed to 74 papers that met review inclusion criteria. Review of these papers demonstrated that SAM use was prevalent among young adults, particularly among those who reported heavier quantities and more frequent use of alcohol and marijuana. Enhancement-related motives for use were consistently positively associated with SAM use. SAM use was associated with greater perceived positive and negative consequences of alcohol and/or marijuana use. Inconsistencies in prevalence, patterns, correlates, and consequences were found between studies, which may be due to large variations in measurement of SAM use, populations studied, methodological design (e.g., cross-sectional vs. intensive longitudinal), and the covariates included in models.CONCLUSIONSThe literature on simultaneous use and same-day co-use of alcohol and marijuana has expanded rapidly. Of the 74 included papers (61 on SAM use; 13 on same-day co-use), 60 papers (47 on SAM use; 13 on same-day co-use) were published within the last 5 years. Future research focusing on the ways in which SAM use confers acute risk, above and beyond the risks associated with separate consumption of alcohol and marijuana, is needed for understanding potential targets for intervention.

ONDCP's Drug‐Free Communities program reduces drug use

Since the inception of the Drug‐Free Communities program by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the past 30‐day prevalence of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and prescription drug misuse has declined significantly among middle school and high school aged youth.

Investigating the Prevalence of Substance Use Among Students of Medical Science Universities in the Eighth Macro-region of Iran

Background: The growing trend of substance use among students is a serious threat for the health of young adults. Using Network Scale-up (NSU) method Objectives: The present study was designed to indirectly estimate the prevalence of substance use among students of medical science universities in the eighth macro-region of Iran to attract government attention to this problem. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 3,900 students from medical science universities in the eighth macro-region of Iran (2300 from Kerman and 1600 from Sistan and Baluchestan provinces) in 2019. The sample size of each university was determined using a multistage non-random sampling approach. The participants were asked to introduce their academic close friends who did high-risk behaviors during last year by researcher-made questionnaire. The chi-squared test was used for comparing two proportions. Statistical analysis was carried out by Excel and SPSS software version 19. Significant level was set as 0.05. Results: Out of 3,900 participants, 1,872 (48%) were males and 2,028 (52%) were females. Students from all academic degrees contributed to this study. The prevalence of alcohol, marijuana, hemp, chewing tobacco, tramadol, methylphenidate, and opium use were 20.6% (95% CI: 19.3 - 21.9), 13.5% (CI: 12.4 - 14.5), 4.1% (CI: 3.5 - 4.7), 6.3% (CI: 5.5 - 7.1), 3.1% (CI: 2.6 - 3.7), 6.5% (CI: 5.7 - 7.3), and 4.0% (CI: 3.1 - 4.9), respectively. Also, the prevalence of substance use was higher among male students than females. Conclusions: Male students are more at risk for substance use. The rates of alcohol and marijuana consumption were higher among students. Training programs are recommended to increase awareness level of young people and the society about disadvantages of these behaviors.

Prevalence of marijuana use among trauma patients before and after legalization of medical marijuana: The Arizona experience

Background In recent years, marijuana has become legal for use in many states, for either medicinal or recreational purposes. Objective: The primary objective is to determine if legalization of medical marijuana is associated with an increased use among trauma patients. Methods: Prospective observational study included three periods; (pre-legalization; period 1); legal to grow for medicinal purposes but no dispensaries open (period 2); and legal to purchase medicinal marijuana in a dispensary (period 3). The study included all adult trauma patients presenting to an urban level I trauma center in Phoenix, AZ. The prevalence of use (as defined by positive urine drug screen or self-reporting) in each time period was determined and compared using two sample tests of proportion. Confidence intervals for prevalence (self-reporting only) were compared with published age matched data from the same geographical region of the general population. Results: The prevalence of marijuana use increased significantly from pre-legalization (period 1) to post legalization (periods 2 and 3), but there was no significant change between the two post legalization periods. After controlling for age and sex, the odds of being marijuana positive post-legalization vs. pre-legalization was 1.36, p = 0.006 95%CI [1.09–1.7]. Overall, the prevalence of marijuana among trauma patients was nearly four-fold higher than the population as a whole in the same geographic region. Patients who use marijuana are more likely to use cocaine or amphetamine (OR 2.31; 95% CI 1.86–2.89) or had an ethanol level above 80 mg/dL (OR 1.57; 95% CI 1.32–1.87). Conclusion: The legalization of medicinal marijuana is associated with significantly increased prevalence among trauma patients. It appears that legalization, rather than the convenience of dispensaries, is associated with an increase in use.

Characteristics of electronic cigarette user and traditional smokers: 2017 Youth risk behavior surveillance system.

Although electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use among adolescents rapidly has increased over the past decade, which has raised concerns over the corresponding behavioral health risks, the current literature presents limited data for understanding the characteristics of adolescent e-cigarette users. The purpose of this study was to (1) identify general characteristics that may be shared between e-cigarette users and traditional cigarette smokers and (2) examine the unique characteristics of e-cigarette users vis-à-vis traditional cigarette smokers. Cross-sectional descriptive study. A total of 14,765 9th- to 12-grade students drawn from the CDC 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. We observed that the prevalence of marijuana, alcohol, and other illicit drug use was higher among e-cigarette users and traditional tobacco users than non-users. Moreover, physically active adolescents were more likely to use e-cigarettes than those who were physically inactive, although the level of the activity did not predict smoking status. We recommend that primary prevention strategies for e-cigarette use should be incorporated in physical education programs and target adolescents who engage in not only health risk behaviors, but also health promoting behaviors, such as physical activity.

Decrease in prevalence but increase in frequency of non-marijuana drug use following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in a large cohort of young men who have sex with men and young transgender women

BackgroundSubstantial concern exists regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on substance use behaviors. This is especially true for subpopulations like young men who have sex with men and young transgender women (YMSM-YTW) who report higher rates of substance use. This study examines changes in prevalence and frequency of marijuana and non-marijuana drug use among YMSM-YTW following the onset of the pandemic. MethodData for this analysis (n = 458 participants, 1356 observations) come from an ongoing longitudinal cohort study of YMSM-YTW. A series of Bayesian multilevel models were used to examine change in prevalence and frequency of use for marijuana and non-marijuana drugs. ResultsResults indicated no systematic change in prevalence or frequency of marijuana use. However, a decrease in non-marijuana drug use was observed (OR = 0.60, 95 % CrI: [0.37, 0.94]) following the onset of the pandemic. Furthermore, a small increase in the frequency of non-marijuana drug use was observed (OR = 1.79, 95 % CrI: [1.02, 3.21]) among individuals who used these substances. ConclusionsThese findings concur with a small number of studies identifying a decrease in drug use prevalence but increase in frequency among those who continue to use drugs. Despite the protective effect of lower drug use prevalence, higher frequency of use may lead to additional negative health outcomes of drug use, particularly among groups facing multiple health challenges such as YMSM-YTW. However, the pandemic likely has a unique impact on substance use behaviors across subpopulations.

The impact of marijuana use on liver transplant recipients: A 900 patient single center experience.

Increased societal prevalence of marijuana continues to challenge liver transplant (LT) programs. This study aimed to examine the potential effects of marijuana use on outcomes. This retrospective study included recipients who underwent LT between 1/2012 and 6/2018. According to pre-LT marijuana use, patients were classified into recent (≤6months of LT), former (chronic use but not ≤6months), or non-users. Additionally, the impact of post-LT marijuana use on survival was assessed. Of 926 eligible patients, 184 were pre-LT marijuana users (42 recent; 142 former) (median follow-up: 30.3months). Pre-users were more likely to be male, White, and have histories of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use. Additionally, recent users were of higher acuity, with higher MELD and requiring ICU admission. Patient survival at 1-year was 89% in non-users, 94% (HR: 0.494, 95% CI: 0.239-1.022 vs. non-users) in former users, and 83% (HR: 1.516, 95% CI: 0.701-3.282) in recent users. Post-operative complications in pre-LT users and the survival analysis for post-LT marijuana users vs. non-users did not show significance. Our results demonstrated that marijuana use did not have an adverse impact on post-LT outcomes; however, further studies utilizing larger cohorts are warranted.

216 Substance use during pregnancy and postpartum among women with perinatally-acquired HIV

Substance use during and after pregnancy may be a critical determinant of health for women living with HIV (WLHIV), but little is known about substance use patterns among pregnant and postpartum women living with perinatally-acquired HIV (WLPHIV). We sought to estimate prevalence of marijuana, alcohol, and opioid use during pregnancy and postpartum among WLHIV and determine associations between mode of HIV acquisition (perinatally- vs. non-perinatally acquired HIV) and substance use. We analyzed data on marijuana, alcohol, and opioid use from the Surveillance Monitoring for ART Toxicities study of the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study, which has been enrolling pregnant WLHIV at 22 US sites since 2007. Included in the analysis were participants enrolled from 2007-2019 who were born after 1982 and had self-reported substance use data available in pregnancy, 1-year postpartum, or both. Prevalence of any marijuana, alcohol, opioid, and concomitant alcohol and marijuana use was compared by WLPHIV status, separately for pregnancy and postpartum. Multivariable log binomial regression models were fit using generalized estimating equations to estimate the relative risk of each substance use outcome by PHIV status, adjusting for race/ethnicity, age, and delivery year. A total of 1547 pregnancies of 1159 WLHIV had available data in pregnancy (N=1538) or postpartum (N=925); 19% (N=298) were among WLPHIV. WLPHIV were younger and more often identified as Hispanic. During pregnancy, no significant differences in substance use were observed by PHIV status (Table 1). Substance use was more common postpartum, with little difference in postpartum marijuana use by PHIV status (Table 2). However, the adjusted RR (aRR) for postpartum alcohol use was increased for WLPHIV (aRR 1.23, 95% CI 1.03-1.48). Although use of substances during and after pregnancy was frequent, there were no major differences in substance use based on mode of HIV acquisition. However, the high prevalence of substance use among all WLHIV, particularly postpartum alcohol and marijuana use, warrants further attention.View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download (PPT)

Indirect estimation of student marijuana consumers population in Hamadan using PRM and NSU methods.

Background: Finding social causes of a particular disease or specific health problem in groups or hidden illnesses, such as drug misuse is difficult. To estimate the population size, it should be taken into account that under enumeration usually occurs in direct estimation of population of certain high-risk groups. The present study used indirect methods to accurately estimate the population of students who have once experienced marijuana abuse. Methods: This cross sectional research was conducted on 461 students in Hamadan. Two indirect methods, the Network Scale-up (NSU) and proxy respondent method (PRM), were used. Data were analyzed by statistical tests and SPSS version 16 and Excel. Results: The mean age (standard deviation) was 22.51 (4.19 years), and the prevalence of marijuana misuse was 1.94%, 4.12%, and 2.6%, respectively, in girls and 14.57%, 12.58%, and 10.4% in boys using NSU, PRM, and direct method. Conclusion: Direct and NSU methods had higher bias than PRM, the frequency of PRM was closer to reality, and the once use prevalence of marijuana was higher in the young male population than in the female.

Relative Reduction in Prevalence (RRP): An Alternative to Cohen\u2019s Effect Size Statistics for Judging Alcohol, Cigarette, and Marijuana Use Prevention Outcomes

Jacob Cohen developed two statistical measures for judging the magnitude of effects produced by an intervention, known as Cohen’s d, appropriate for assessing scaled data, and Cohen’s h, appropriate for assessing proportions. These have been widely employed in evaluating the effectiveness of alcohol, cigarette, marijuana, and other drug prevention efforts. I present two tests to consider the adequacy of using these statistics when applied to drug use prevention programs. I used student survey data from grades 6 through 12 (N = 1,963,964) collected by the Georgia Department of Education between 2015 and 2017 and aggregated at the school level (N = 1036). I calculated effect sizes for an imaginary drug prevention program that (1) reduced 30-day alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana prevalence by 50%; and (2) maintained 30-day prevalence at a pretest level for multiple years. While both approaches to estimating intervention effects represent ideal outcomes for prevention that surpass what is normally observed, Cohen’s statistics failed to reflect the effectiveness of these approaches. I recommend including an alternative method for calculating effect size for judging program outcomes. This alternative method, Relative Reduction in Prevalence (RRP), calculates ratio differences between treatment and control group drug use prevalence at posttest and follow-up, adjusting for differences observed at pretest. RRP allows researchers to state the degree to which an intervention could be viewed as efficacious or effective that can be readily understood by practitioners.

Prescription Opioid Misuse and Use of Alcohol and Other Substances Among High School Students - Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2019.

Adolescence is an important period of risk for substance use initiation and substance use–related adverse outcomes. To examine youth substance use trends and patterns, CDC analyzed data from the 2009–2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. This report presents estimated prevalence of current (i.e., previous 30-days) marijuana use, prescription opioid misuse, alcohol use, and binge drinking and lifetime prevalence of marijuana, synthetic marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, injection drug use, and prescription opioid misuse among U.S. high school students. Logistic regression and Joinpoint analyses were used to assess 2009–2019 trends. Prevalence of current and lifetime substance use by demographics, frequency of use, and prevalence of co-occurrence of selected substances among students reporting current prescription opioid misuse are estimated using 2019 data. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine demographic and substance use correlates of current prescription opioid misuse. Current alcohol, lifetime cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and injection drug use decreased during 2009–2019. Lifetime use of synthetic marijuana (also called synthetic cannabinoids) decreased during 2015–2019. Lifetime marijuana use increased during 2009–2013 and then decreased during 2013–2019. In 2019, 29.2% reported current alcohol use, 21.7% current marijuana use, 13.7% current binge drinking, and 7.2% current prescription opioid misuse. Substance use varied by sex, race/ethnicity, grade, and sexual minority status (lesbian, gay, or bisexual). Use of other substances, particularly current use of alcohol (59.4%) and marijuana (43.5%), was common among students currently misusing prescription opioids. Findings highlight opportunities for expanding evidence-based prevention policies, programs, and practices that aim to reduce risk factors and strengthen protective factors related to youth substance use, in conjunction with ongoing initiatives for combating the opioid crisis.

Marijuana and Opioid Use during Pregnancy: Using Zebrafish to Gain Understanding of Congenital Anomalies Caused by Drug Exposure during Development.

Marijuana and opioid addictions have increased alarmingly in recent decades, especially in the United States, posing threats to society. When the drug user is a pregnant mother, there is a serious risk to the developing baby. Congenital anomalies are associated with prenatal exposure to marijuana and opioids. Here, we summarize the current data on the prevalence of marijuana and opioid use among the people of the United States, particularly pregnant mothers. We also summarize the current zebrafish studies used to model and understand the effects of these drug exposures during development and to understand the behavioral changes after exposure. Zebrafish experiments recapitulate the drug effects seen in human addicts and the birth defects seen in human babies prenatally exposed to marijuana and opioids. Zebrafish show great potential as an easy and inexpensive model for screening compounds for their ability to mitigate the drug effects, which could lead to new therapeutics.