Antededents and Outcomes of Marijuana Use Initiation During Adolescence
Ellickson P.L. et al., "Antecedents and outcomes of marijuana use
initiation during adolescence," Preventive Medicine 39, issue 5
(November 2004): 976-984.
While federal officials regularly note with alarm that marijuana use
is associated with poor grades, this study suggests that poor grades may
be a cause of teen marijuana use, not the result. Interestingly, school
grades were often a stronger predictor of future marijuana use than
were attitudes or beliefs about marijuana. This suggests that prevention
programs focusing only on attitudes and beliefs (such as the U.S.
government's anti-marijuana ads) are at best an inadequate approach. MPP
believes young people should not use marijuana, and this study
indicates that those who start using marijuana as young as grade 7 are
more likely to have problems later. But claims of harm should not be
exaggerated.
Free abstract and full text for a fee are available at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00917435
