Retrospective Recall of Marijuana Use Patterns Following the COVID-19 Outbreak Vary as a Function of User Type Among Adolescents in Washington State

Abstract

Marijuana use in middle and late adolescence is a significant public health concern given that an earlier age of onset is prospectively associated with numerous marijuana misuse outcomes. The outbreak of COVID-19 resulted in stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines across the United States yet the impact of these orders on adolescent marijuana use is unknown in the U.S. The aims of this study were to examine adolescents’ recall of changes in marijuana use patterns following the COVID-19 outbreak as a function of one’s typical levels of use, and to qualitatively assess reasons for perceived change. A screening survey for a larger study was completed by 156 adolescents (ages 15-18, 78% male) after the stay-at-home order was put in place in Washington state in March 2020. The cross-sectional survey included self-reported demographic information, marijuana use, and retrospective recall of changes to marijuana use following the state’s stay-at-home order. Initial findings did not reveal any pattern of change that described the entire sample, however adolescents’ recall of changes in use significantly varied as a function of typical use such that moderate/heavy users had higher odds of reporting maintained (5.04 times higher) or increased use (3.07 times higher) compared to irregular/light marijuana users. Primary reasons for decreasing use included decreased availability and socialization. Primary reasons for increasing use included more free time and coping with stress and anxiety. The findings suggest that pandemic-related changes in marijuana use are not consistent across adolescents and that moderate and heavy users may be at increased risk of marijuana misuse under pandemic conditions.