Trends in Post Legalization Cannabis Use Among Ethnic Groups in California: 2018-2023

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Substance Use Research

Background:

• Recreational cannabis legalization in California aimed to regulate use and potentially impact public health.
• Understanding cannabis use trends across diverse demographic groups is crucial for targeted public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze trends in past 30-day cannabis use among adults in California from 2018 to 2023.
• To examine these trends across various racial and ethnic groups, including Hispanic, White non-Hispanic, Black non-Hispanic, American Indian/Alaskan Native non-Hispanic, Asian non-Hispanic, and Other/Two or more races.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), a representative household survey.
• Employed crosstabulations and logistic regression analyses to assess temporal trends and racial/ethnic disparities in cannabis use.

Main Results:

• Overall past 30-day cannabis use showed a flat trend in California adults between 2018 and 2023.
• Asian adults had lower odds of cannabis use compared to White adults (AOR=0.60).
• Significant diverging trends were observed: White adults showed increasing odds of use (AOR=1.04), while Hispanic adults showed a declining trend (AOR=0.96).

Conclusions:

• Cannabis legalization in California did not correlate with an overall increase in adult cannabis use.
• Disaggregated analyses reveal significant variations in cannabis use trajectories across racial and ethnic groups.
• Factors like access, risk perception, socioeconomic status, and cultural norms may explain these divergent trends, emphasizing the need for subgroup-specific public health strategies.