Parental Influence on Youth Cannabis Use: The Interplay between Disapproval and Warmth

Authors

• Brian Young, University of Nebraska Medical Center
• Lorey Wheeler, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Hongying Daisy Dai, University of Nebraska Medical CenterFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2025

Citation

Addictive Behaviors Report (2025) 22: 100621

doi: 10.1016/j.abrep.2025.100621

Comments

Open access

License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Abstract

Family environment plays an essential role in youth development. This study sought to examine the intersection effects of parental disapproval and parent–child warm relationships on youth cannabis use behaviors.

Data were drawn from the youth sample of the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) study. Multivariable hierarchical models were performed to examine the associations of parental disapproval of offspring’s cannabis use and youth current (past 30-day) cannabis use and past-year DSM-5 cannabis use disorder (CUD), incrementally adjusting for sociodemographic factors, youth substance use behaviors, and family/environment influences.

Among a nationally representative sample of 11,969 youths aged 12–17 years old, 6.0 % reported current cannabis use and 5.2 % reported past-year CUD. Parental disapproval of youth cannabis use differed by parental warmth, age, sex, and race/ethnicity, and it was a strong protective factor against both current cannabis use (AOR[95 % CI] = 0.26[0.18–0.37]) and past-year CUD (AOR[95 % CI] = 0.30[0.20–0.44]) in the fully adjusted models. In addition, reporting their parent as being “warm” all the time (vs. seldom/never), and perceiving harmfulness of cannabis use (high vs. low) were associated with lower odds of youth cannabis use, while being non-Hispanic Black (vs. White), older (vs. younger), using tobacco or alcohol currently, and having peers who use cannabis were associated with higher odds of cannabis use.

Parental disproval in a warm family environment is protective of youth against cannabis use. Multifaceted interventions involving parents and youth, as well as parental knowledge of the harmfulness of cannabis use, might lessen the impact of youth cannabis use.