Changes in Marijuana Use Over the Transition Into Marriage

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Psychology
• Sociology

Background:

• Substance use often decreases during emerging adulthood.
• Marriage is a significant life event that typically occurs during emerging adulthood.
• Spousal influence may play a role in changes in substance use patterns during the transition to marriage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between a spouse's marijuana use and an individual's likelihood of using marijuana.
• To examine spousal influence on both the initiation and cessation of marijuana use.
• To determine the directionality of spousal influence on marijuana use within early marriage.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study of 471 married couples.
• Analysis of marijuana use patterns among husbands and wives.
• Statistical examination of spousal effects on marijuana use initiation and cessation.

Main Results:

• Spousal influence on marijuana use is supported.
• Husbands were more likely to initiate marijuana use if their wives used marijuana.
• Husbands were more likely to cease marijuana use if their wives did not use marijuana.
• The influence of wives on husbands' marijuana use was more pronounced than the reverse.

Conclusions:

• Marital transitions involve significant spousal influence on substance use behaviors.
• The impact of spousal marijuana use on an individual's use is evident.
• This influence appears to be predominantly unidirectional, with wives influencing husbands' marijuana use.