Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015;36(4):470-7.
doi: 10.1080/08897077.2014.964901. Epub 2014 Sep 26.

Trajectories of Marijuana Use Beginning in Adolescence Predict Tobacco Dependence in Adulthood

Judith S Brook  1 , Jung Yeon Lee  1 , David W Brook  1
Affiliations

Trajectories of Marijuana Use Beginning in Adolescence Predict Tobacco Dependence in Adulthood

Judith S Brook et al. Subst Abus. 2015.

Abstract

Background: Although the "stage theory" suggests that marijuana use occurs after the initiation of tobacco smoking, substantial evidence exists that they often occur concurrently, and that the use of marijuana may influence the use of tobacco.

Methods: This study uses trajectory analysis to examine the relationship between marijuana use beginning in adolescence and adult tobacco dependence in a 5-wave longitudinal study (mean ages in each wave: 14, 19, 24, 29, and 32). The sample consisted of 816 participants (52% African Americans, 48% Puerto Ricans), of whom 60% were females. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to predict later tobacco dependence from earlier trajectories of marijuana use.

Results: A higher Bayesian posterior probability (BPP) for the chronic marijuana use trajectory group (odds ratio [OR]=10.93, P<.001; adjusted OR [AOR]=10.40, P<.001), for the increasing marijuana use trajectory group (OR=6.94, P<.001; AOR=6.73, P<.001), and for the moderate marijuana use trajectory group (OR=3.13, P<.001; AOR=3.18, P<.001) was associated with an increased likelihood of being dependent on tobacco compared with the BPP of the no or low marijuana use trajectory group.

Conclusions: The results underscore the value of considering multiple patterns of marijuana use within a person-centered approach. Thus, it would be appropriate for marijuana cessation programs to incorporate the prevention, assessment, and cessation of tobacco use in their health promotion strategies.

Keywords: Longitudinal study; marijuana use trajectory; tobacco dependence.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Developmental Trajectories of Marijuana Use Extending from Adolescence to age 29 Note: 0 = never; 1 = a few times a year or less; 2 = about once a month; 3 = several times a month; 4 = once a week or more
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Griesler PC, Kandel DB, Davies M. Ethnic differences in predictors of initiation and persistence of adolescent cigarette smoking in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Nicotine Tob Res. 2002;4:79–93. - PubMed
    1. Hu M-C, Davies M, Kandel DB. Epidemiology and correlates of daily smoking and nicotine dependence among young adults in the United States. Am J Public Health. 2006;96:299–308. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Castaldelli-Maia JM, Martins SS, Oliveira LGD, Laar MV, Andrade AGD, Nicastri S. Use transition between illegal drugs among Brazilian university students. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2014;49:385–394. - PubMed
    1. Wu L-T, Woody GE, Yang C, Pan JJ, Blazer DG. Racial/ethnic variations in substance-related disorders among adolescents in the United States. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2011;68:1176–1185. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kandel DB, editor. Stages and Pathways of Drug Involvement: Examining the Gateway Hypothesis. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press; 2002.

Publication types