Pandemic disruptions intensified teen cannabis use patterns

This accelerated longitudinal study investigated how the COVID-19 pandemic, associated disruptions, and other risk/protective factors shaped youths' alcohol and cannabis use trajectories. Data were collected from 682 Midwestern U.S. families, each with two adolescent siblings (M = 14.44 years, SD = 1.54; 49.8% female) and one parent (M = 45.15 years, SD = 5.37; 85% mothers; 87% of participating parents identified as White, 9% as Black or African American, and 4% as another racial group; 5% were Latinx) across four waves preceding and coinciding with the pandemic (from March 2019 through May 2023). Across the full age span modeled (11.25 to 20.75 years), in addition to "non-users," two trajectory classes were identified for both alcohol and cannabis reflecting patterns of "later onset, infrequent use" and "earlier onset, more frequent use". Comparing equivalent aged youth, substance use frequency was higher during than before the pandemic in both trajectory classes and for both substances, with greater differences among earlier frequent users. Across pandemic-related experiences and risk/protective factors, substance use trajectory group membership was most consistently predicted by parent, sibling, and friend substance use, and also by family chaos and financial strain. Overall, the pandemic amplified trajectories of use among substance-using youth. As heavier substance use trajectories negatively impact role transitions, substance problems, and health, continued support across the transition to adulthood may help mitigate ongoing impacts of the pandemic. This study investigated how the COVID-19 pandemic, associated disruptions, and other risk/protective factors shaped youths' alcohol and cannabis use trajectories. Using data collected from families with two adolescent offspring over the course of 4 years that preceded and coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, we identified three common patterns of substance use: “Non-users,” “earlier onset, frequent users,” and “later onset, less frequent users.” Importantly, the onset of the pandemic was associated with increased substance use when comparing similarly aged youth who had or had not yet experienced the pandemic. Further, experiences related to the pandemic (e.g., family chaos, financial strain, and stress) and other risk factors (family and peer substance use) were associated with youth being classified into the substance use groups.