Predictors of Caregivers’ Cannabis-Specific Rules in a Predominantly Cannabis-Naïve Sample of Youth in the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study

Abstract

Objective: Zero-tolerance cannabis rules are commonly used to prevent adolescent use. However, research investigating the circumstances under which parents/caregivers make or enforce rules is sparse. This study examined predictors of whether caregivers established (i.e., have explicit rules) and enforced (i.e., applied) cannabis rules across early to mid-adolescence. Method: Baseline (N = 9,807; age = 9.90 years) and year (Y) 1-3 follow-up data were used from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Youth were predominantly cannabis naïve (n = 19 trying cannabis by Y3, >99% did not try cannabis). Caregivers self-reported all measures except parental monitoring, which youth reported. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) modeled the probability of establishing explicit cannabis rules and then enforcing rules for everyone in the home (rather than youth only) from baseline to Y3. Results: At baseline, most caregivers had 1) established rules (75%) and 2) enforced rules (83%) for everyone in the home. Multivariate models showed that compared to in low THC/CBD states, caregivers in states with legal access for general adult or medical use had lower odds of establishing (ORs = 0.68 & 0.62) and enforcing (ORs = 0.65 & 0.62) rules. Compared to caregivers perceiving hard youth access to cannabis, those perceiving easy access, had lower odds of establishing (OR = 0.58) and enforcing (OR = 0.83) rules.  Parental monitoring was not associated with establishing or enforcing rules. Conclusions: When cannabis access is limited legally or environmentally, parents appear more likely to establish and enforce cannabis-specific rules, further reducing risk of youth initiation. Identifying predictors of cannabis rules can inform family-based cannabis prevention efforts.