@article{ref1,
title="Associations of adolescent cannabis use with academic performance and mental health: a longitudinal study of upper middle class youth",
journal="Drug and alcohol dependence",
year="2015",
author="Meier, Madeline H. and Hill, Melanie L. and Small, Phillip J. and Luthar, Suniya S.",
volume="156",
number="",
pages="207-212",
abstract="BACKGROUND: There is a hypothesis that low socioeconomic status (SES) may explain the link between cannabis use and poorer academic performance and mental health. A key question, therefore, is whether adolescent cannabis use is associated with poorer academic performance and mental health in high SES communities where there is reduced potential for confounding. <br><br>METHODS: Youth (n=254) from an upper middle class community were followed prospectively through the four years of high school (from age 14/15 to age 17/18). Past-year frequency of cannabis use was assessed annually. Official school records of academic performance and self-reported mental health symptoms (externalizing and internalizing symptoms) were assessed in grades 9 and 12. <br><br>RESULTS: Persistent cannabis use across the four years of high school was associated with lower grade-point average (β=-0.18, p=.006), lower Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) score (β=-0.13, p=.038), and greater externalizing symptoms (β=0.29, p<.001) in 12th grade, but not with greater internalizing symptoms (β=0.04, p=.53). Moreover, persistent cannabis use was associated with lower grade-point average (β=-0.13, p=.014) and greater externalizing symptoms (β=0.24, p=.002) in 12th grade, even after controlling for 9th grade levels of these outcomes. Similar associations were observed for persistent alcohol and tobacco use. Effects for persistent cannabis use became non-significant after controlling for persistent alcohol and tobacco use, reflecting the difficulties of disentangling effects of cannabis from effects of alcohol and tobacco. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Low SES cannot fully explain associations between cannabis use and poorer academic performance and mental health.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0376-8716",
doi="10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.09.010",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.09.010"
}