Swedish research indicates that patterns of cannabis use among adolescents mirror those previously observed with alcohol, suggesting that population-level interventions may be more effective than those focused solely on high-risk individuals.
The study, published this week in the journal Addiction, analyzed data spanning three decades – from 1990 to 2023 – encompassing over 250,000 Swedish students aged 15 to 18. Researchers from the Swedish Institute for Social Research at Stockholm University and the Karolinska Institutet examined trends in cannabis use frequency, finding a remarkable stability in the distribution of usage over time. The data was sourced from national school surveys conducted by the Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs (CAN).
“Increases in average use are not driven solely by a tiny group of heavy users, but by broader changes in behavior among users in general,” explained Thor Norström, co-author of the study and Professor Emeritus at the Swedish Institute for Social Research, in a statement. The research demonstrates that when average cannabis use rises or falls, the shift occurs consistently across all levels of consumption, from infrequent to frequent users.
This finding supports the “total consumption model,” a theory prominent in alcohol research that posits that preventative efforts should not be limited to identifying and intervening with high-risk groups. Instead, the model emphasizes the importance of addressing societal factors – norms, availability, and attitudes – that influence substance use across the entire population. The study found that periods of increased average cannabis use coincided with a rise in the proportion of adolescents who reported very frequent use, indicating a heightened risk of cannabis-related problems during those times.
Håkan Leifman, a researcher at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience at Karolinska Institutet and co-author of the study, highlighted the role of social networks and broader societal influences. “Our results suggest that adolescent cannabis use is characterized by collective changes, in which social networks, norms, and the broader societal climate play an crucial role,” he said.
Researchers emphasize the relevance of these findings given evolving international attitudes toward cannabis. Even in Sweden, where cannabis remains illegal, changing perceptions may be influencing adolescent behavior, according to the study. A related study published in 2022, examining Swedish high school students’ drug and alcohol use habits throughout 2020, too pointed to the require for refined methods of identifying addiction in this population, as reported by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
“This underscores the importance of a broad public health perspective in preventive efforts targeting cannabis use among young people,” Norström added. The study’s findings were released as a parallel analysis published by Life Technology Medical News confirmed the mirroring of trends between cannabis and alcohol use among Swedish adolescents.
