Cannabis Use from Early Adolescence to the Mid-Twenties in Children of Immigrant and Nonimmigrant Parents: Findings from a Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study

Abstract

This study compares the developmental course of cannabis use in adolescents with versus without an immigrant background. Data came from a Swiss prospective-longitudinal cohort study (n = 1445) with nine assessments between ages 7 and 24. Parents reported their immigration history; adolescents self-reported their past-year cannabis use five times between ages 13 (in 2011) and 24 years (in 2022). Latent growth curve models revealed a curvilinear increase in cannabis use, with a peak at age 20. Adolescents whose parents had immigrated showed a less steep increase in cannabis use during adolescence and a lower cumulative prevalence of cannabis use by age 24. Specific cultural and religious backgrounds were linked with lower odds of cannabis use. Interventions in early adolescence need to consider immigration, cultural, and religious backgrounds.