Predicting initial use of marijuana from correlates of marijuana use: assessment of panel and cross-sectional data...

Data from two college-student samples, collected through a panel design from 1969 to 1973 and a cross-sectional design in 1976, were analyzed to address three questions regarding initial marijuana use: (1) Which variables, believed associated with marijuana use, are most salient to predicting initial use of the drug? (2) Are variables salient to predicting initial use of marijuana consistent in predicting initial over time? (3) Do any salient variables operate in combination to predict initial marijuana use? Results indicated that salience of the variables to predicting initial marijuana use changed over time. Implications for drug-use prediction are offered based on the findings.