What is the study about?
We want to know about California teens’ habits and opinions on cannabis. Specifically, we want to know whether being close to recreational cannabis retailers and/or medical cannabis dispensaries is associated with higher teen access to cannabis and whether this perceived access increases cannabis use. We will also ask questions about tobacco, vaping, and e-cigarette use because we are interested in knowing if tobacco and cannabis use are related. Participation in this study is voluntary.
Why is it important?
After the legalization of recreational cannabis use, retail sales of cannabis began in January 2018 in some California cities. Although this law was not intended to make cannabis available to adolescents, the increased availability of cannabis to adults could lead to increased availability and use among adolescents who otherwise would not have access to cannabis. Even before this law passed, cannabis use was prevalent among students. In 2015, 22.9% of California high school students reported having used cannabis in the past month, compared with only 7.7% of California high school students who reported past-month cigarette use.
To prevent youth from experiencing adverse consequences of cannabis use and inform future policy and enforcement efforts, it is important to understand whether availability of cannabis in retail stores and dispensaries increases cannabis use among underage youth.
We want to know about California teens’ habits and opinions on cannabis. Specifically, we want to know whether being close to recreational cannabis retailers and/or medical cannabis dispensaries is associated with higher teen access to cannabis and whether this perceived access increases cannabis use. We will also ask questions about tobacco, vaping, and e-cigarette use because we are interested in knowing if tobacco and cannabis use are related. Participation in this study is voluntary.
Why is it important?
After the legalization of recreational cannabis use, retail sales of cannabis began in January 2018 in some California cities. Although this law was not intended to make cannabis available to adolescents, the increased availability of cannabis to adults could lead to increased availability and use among adolescents who otherwise would not have access to cannabis. Even before this law passed, cannabis use was prevalent among students. In 2015, 22.9% of California high school students reported having used cannabis in the past month, compared with only 7.7% of California high school students who reported past-month cigarette use.
To prevent youth from experiencing adverse consequences of cannabis use and inform future policy and enforcement efforts, it is important to understand whether availability of cannabis in retail stores and dispensaries increases cannabis use among underage youth.
Publications
Rogers, C., Steinberg, J., Vos, R.O., Soto, D.W., & Unger, J.B. (2022) Associations between Local Jurisdiction Ordinances and Current Use of Cannabis Products in California Adolescents, Substance Use & Misuse, 57:3, 373-379. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2021.2012693Unger, J. B., Vos, R. O., Wu, J. S., Hardaway, K., Sarain, A. Y. L., Soto, D. W., Rogers, C., & Steinberg, J. (2020). Locations of licensed and unlicensed cannabis retailers in California: A threat to health equity? Preventive Medicine Reports, 19, 101165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2020.101165
Data
In order to access any of the data, please see the instructions on the main data page.Surveys
| Name | Description | Fieldwork period | Sample size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CalTeens | Project Calteens W1 - W2 | 2019 - 2021 | 1690 |