Historical Trends in Cannabis Use Among U.S. Adults Ages 19-55, 2013-2021.

OBJECTIVE: The current study used U.S. national data to examine trends in cannabis use from 2013 to 2021, focusing on changes in cannabis prevalence during young and middle adulthood and whether trends differed by sociodemographic characteristics. METHOD: Data from 2013 to 2021 from 21,182 respondents ages 19-30 and 29,871 ages 35-55 in the national Monitoring the Future panel study (followed since they were in 12th grade in 1976-2020) were used to model historical trends in cannabis prevalence (any 12-month use, any 30-day use, and near-daily use [≥20 occasions in the past 30 days]). RESULTS: Prevalence of 12-month, 30-day, and near-daily cannabis use significantly increased from 2013 to 2021 for both young and middle adults. Trends for all three behaviors indicated either consistent linear increases or two-slope increases in which the slope estimate was larger in more recent years. Historical increases in 12-month and 30-day use were similar for young and middle adulthood; the historical increase in near-daily use among middle adults had some evidence for a possible pandemic-related deviation. Historical trends did not differ by race/ethnicity or college degree. Trends for 12-month and 30-day use differed by sex, with women increasing more than men over time, especially during middle adulthood. CONCLUSIONS: Significant increases in the prevalence of cannabis use have occurred over the past decade for young and middle adults across sociodemographic groups, with some indication that near-daily use increased among middle adults at the onset of the pandemic. Although men continue to have a higher prevalence than women, the gap has narrowed, with greater increases in cannabis use among women.

Trends in coping reasons for marijuana use among U.S. adolescents from 2016 to 2022.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines historical trends in coping reasons for marijuana use among adolescents (1976-2022) and explores sociodemographic variations in recent years (2016-2022). METHOD: Data from U.S. national samples of 12th grade adolescents in the Monitoring the Future (MTF) study were used to examine long-term trends (1976-2022, N = 43,237) and recent differences by sociodemographic characteristics (2016-2022, N = 3,816). Measures included marijuana use, coping reasons for use, and sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS: The most prevalent coping reason across time was "relax," endorsed by 52.9% of past 12-month users. Coping reasons mostly exhibited significant increases over time. Sociodemographic factors were associated with coping reasons. Females had higher odds of using marijuana to escape problems and get through the day (vs. males). Black respondents were more likely to use marijuana to get through the day, and Hispanic respondents were more likely to use to relax (vs. White respondents). Those with lower (vs. higher) parental education were more likely to use due to anger/frustration and to escape problems. Adolescents who used marijuana frequently (vs. less often) had higher odds of endorsing all coping reasons. There was no robust evidence of interactions between sociodemographic characteristics and year. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate a consistent increase in coping reasons for adolescent marijuana use over time, with variations based on sociodemographic characteristics. The findings highlight the importance of understanding subpopulations of adolescents who have higher risk of coping-related marijuana use.