Outcomes Associated with Adolescent Marijuana & Alcohol Use among Urban Young Adults: A Prospective Study

This study identifies and compares outcomes in young adulthood associated with longitudinal patterns of alcohol and marijuana use during adolescence among urban youth.

Data come from a cohort of 678 urban, predominantly Black children followed from ages 6-25 (1993-2012). Analyses are based on the 608 children who participated over time (53.6% male). Longitudinal patterning of alcohol and marijuana use were based on annual frequency reports from grades 8-12 and estimated through latent profile analysis.

We identified four classes of alcohol and marijuana use including Non-Use (47%), Moderate Alcohol Use (28%), Moderate Alcohol/Increasing Marijuana Use (12%) and High Dual Use (13%). A marijuana only class was not identified. Analyses show negative outcomes in adulthood associated with all three adolescent substance use classes. Compared to the non-use class, all use classes had statistically significantly higher rates of substance dependence. Those in the 'High Dual Use' class had the lowest rate of high school graduation. Comparing classes with similar alcohol but different marijuana patterns, the 'Moderate Alcohol/Increasing Marijuana Use' class had a statistically significant increased risk of having a criminal justice record and developing substance use dependence in adulthood.

Among urban youth, heterogeneous patterns of alcohol and marijuana use across adolescence are evident, and these patterns are associated with distinct outcomes in adulthood. These findings suggest a need for targeted education and intervention efforts to address the needs of youth using both marijuana and alcohol, as well as the importance of universal early preventive intervention efforts.

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By: Green KM1, Musci RJ2, Johnson RM2, Matson PA3, Reboussin BA4, Ialongo NS2.

• 1Department of Behavioral and Community Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health, 2387 SPH Building, Valley Drive, College Park, MD 20742, United States. Electronic address: greenkm@umd.edu.
• 2Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 North Broadway, 8th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States.
• 3Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 200 N. Wolfe St, Rm 2025, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States.
• 4Department of Biostatistical Sciences and Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, United States.  

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