Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy
Risk factors for adolescent cannabis use following partial cannabis legalization in Germany: a cross-sectional study in secondary schools
By Trümpelmann M, Lüthgen M, Burgard A and 8 others.
Abstract
Background
Following Germany's partial cannabis legalization in April 2024, evidence on adolescent cannabis use risk factors is needed. Social media platforms represent understudied risk environments, and the comparative predictive value of risk perception versus prevention remains unclear. This study aimed to examine determinants of adolescent cannabis use in Germany, including platform-specific social media effects, nicotine advertising exposure, parental smoking, socioeconomic factors, and risk perception.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey of 829 students (age 11 to 19 years) from three secondary schools in northern Germany was conducted between April and July 2024. Cannabis use was measured on a 6-point ordinal scale. Associations were analyzed using ordinal cumulative link models and binary logistic regression, adjusted for age, gender, and school type.