Teens who believe their parents use cannabis are more likely to hold favourable attitudes toward the drug and to consider trying it themselves, according to new research.
The study, published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Child and Family Studies, also showed that the closeness of the relationship between parents and child, and the level of parental monitoring of the child played a role in adolescents’ views about cannabis.
“Parents need to recognize that their [cannabis] use matters,” said Stacey J. T. Hust, lead author of the study and a professor of communication at Washington State University (WSU).
“If teens perceive their parents use cannabis, whether they actually do or not, it can send the message that the behavior is also acceptable for them, especially without explicit conversations that set boundaries for the teen.”
In the study, WSU researchers surveyed 276 teens aged 13-17 in Washington state about their perceptions of parental cannabis use, their closeness to their parents and the level of parental monitoring in their lives. Cannabis use by adults over the age of 21 has been legal in Washington state since 2012.
The results found that 32% of teens believed their fathers used cannabis, while 25% thought their mothers did. These perceptions were strongly associated with decreased negative attitudes toward cannabis and increased intentions to use it.
The study also found that the influence of parental closeness differed by gender. Adolescents close to mothers who were non-users reported lower intentions to use cannabis. Conversely, teens close to cannabis-using mothers exhibited more positive attitudes and stronger intentions to use the substance. For fathers, closeness was associated with more positive attitudes toward cannabis use, regardless of whether the father used cannabis or not.
“This study sheds light on how mothers and fathers uniquely impact their children’s views on cannabis, providing a roadmap for future research to explore these differences further,” said Hust.
Boys who reported higher levels of parental monitoring – measured by parents knowing their whereabouts and who their friends were – expressed more negative attitudes toward cannabis than girls under a similar level of supervision.
Jessica Willoughby, an associate professor of Communication at WSU and co-author of the study, said the results show that parents should foster open, honest discussions about cannabis with their children. Parents should frame cannabis as an adult decision, similar to alcohol or tobacco, placing emphasis on the risks of consuming cannabis while the brain is still forming.
“Parents need to be thoughtful about how they talk about their use with their kids,” said Willoughby. “They need to make clear that cannabis is a product meant for adults and communicate its potential harms, especially for developing adolescent brains.”
