Development of Marijuana Use Among Juvenile Offenders and Its Relevance for Predicting Problematic Binge Drinking: A Dual Trajectory Analysis Approach

• Published date: 01 July 2018
• DOI: 10.1177/0022042618762730
• Date: 01 July 2018
• Author: Thomas Wojciechowski
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0022042618762730

Journal of Drug Issues

2018, Vol. 48(3) 377 –392

© The Author(s) 2018

Reprints and permissions:

sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav

DOI: 10.1177/0022042618762730

journals.sagepub.com/home/jod

Article

Development of Marijuana Use

Among Juvenile Offenders and

Its Relevance for Predicting

Problematic Binge Drinking: A Dual

Trajectory Analysis Approach

Thomas Wojciechowski1

Abstract

This study builds on past research to examine the association of engagement in consistently

high binge drinking behavior in adolescence with the concurrent development of marijuana

use and to better understand the development of marijuana use during adolescence among a

sample of juvenile offenders. This research used group-based trajectory analysis to examine

heterogeneity in the development of marijuana use and dual trajectory analysis to examine the

relevance of trajectories for predicting concurrent problematic binge drinking. A seven-group

model best fit the marijuana use data. Marijuana use in adolescence predicted increased odds of

assignment to the heavy chronic binge drinking group. The heavy chronic marijuana use group

was overwhelmingly the best predictor of assignment to this group. Juvenile offenders are at

risk of engagement in marijuana use and problematic levels of marijuana use. Engagement in

marijuana use predicts higher odds of problematic binge drinking behavior during adolescence.

Keywords

juvenile offenders, marijuana, binge drinking, dual trajectory analysis

Introduction

Juvenile offenders are at high risk of problematic substance use behaviors (Dembo, Wareham, &

Schmeidler, 2007; Teplin, Abram, McClelland, Dulcan, & Mericle, 2002). This places these ado-

lescents at risk of a number of poor future health outcomes, and this substance use may also

contribute to increased odds of future engagement in delinquent/criminal behavior (O’Keefe,

Bhatti, Bajwa, DiNicolantonio, & Lavie, 2014; Van der Put, Creemers, & Hoeve, 2014; Volkow,

Baler, Compton, & Weiss, 2014). Further compounding these issues is the high propensity for

comorbid substance abuse by juvenile offenders (Racz et al., 2016; Tripodi & Bender, 2011).

Although this may or may not be concurrent abuse, these adolescents contend with risk of distal

outcomes associated with the use of multiple types of drugs. Although past research has indeed

1University of Florida, Gainesville, USA

Corresponding Author:

Thomas Wojciechowski, Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law, University of Florida, 330 Newell Dr.,

Gainesville, FL 32611-7011, USA.

Email: wojci1tw@ufl.edu

762730JODXXX10.1177/0022042618762730Journal of Drug IssuesWojciechowski

research-article2018

378 Journal of Drug Issues 48(3)

demonstrated this high propensity for juvenile offenders to engage in multiple substance use

behaviors (McClelland, Elkington, Teplin, & Abram, 2004), there has yet to be an examination

of how problematic use of one substance may predict abuse of another from a developmental

perspective. This research seeks to examine the role of marijuana use across adolescence and

early adulthood for predicting consistently high engagement in concurrent binge drinking

behaviors.

Specific Aims

This research seeks to add to the existing literature on the development of substance use among

juvenile offenders in several ways. Despite a great deal of research on the development of mari-

juana use across the life course using the group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM) method,

these examinations have yet to be extended to a sample of juvenile offenders. This research

sought to provide descriptive analysis of the heterogeneity in developmental patterns of mari-

juana use during this time using this analytic strategy. This research then extends the findings of

the GBTM process to examine the relevance of the elucidated developmental trajectories for

predicting consistently high binge drinking behavior among this same sample. Past research

using the GBTM method found an eight-group model of binge drinking behavior among the

participants of the Pathways to Desistance study (Wojciechowski, 2017). This research produced

a “high chronic” trajectory group characterized by consistently high levels of binge drinking

behavior across adolescence and early adulthood. Using dual trajectory analysis, this research

examines the odds of being assigned to the high chronic binge drinking trajectory based on

assignment to the marijuana use trajectories. Research indicates that cannabis use disorder is

highly comorbid with alcohol use disorder (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). It

would be expected then that marijuana use trajectory groups characterized by consistently high

engagement across time should significantly predict assignment to the high chronic binge drink-

ing trajectory group.

Marijuana Use and Binge Drinking in Adolescence

Marijuana use and binge drinking are both behaviors demonstrated to predict different health

problems. Marijuana use has been linked to problems with abnormal brain development, depres-

sion, diminished life achievement, among other issues (Gogtay et al., 2004; Lynskey & Hall,

2000; O’Keefe et al., 2014). Engagement in binge drinking has been linked to cardiovascular

disease, increased stroke risk, as well as other health problems (O’Keefe et al., 2014; World

Health Organization, Management of Substance Abuse Unit, 2014). Abuse of both substances

may compound treatment difficulty related to alcohol use disorder and cannabis use disorder, as

treatment of disorder becomes more difficult in cases of comorbidity. Furthermore, psychiatric

treatment becomes more difficult in the case of co-occurring disorders, like would be the case in

the diagnostic treatment of multiple substance use disorders (APA, 2013). Research has indicated

that juvenile offenders demonstrate high risk of engagement in problematic alcohol use and mari-

juana use (Dembo, Jainchill, Turner, Fong, Farkas, & Childs, 2007; Lebeau-Craven et al., 2003).

Wojciechowski (2017) found that juvenile offenders are at elevated risk of engagement in binge

drinking behaviors relative to the general population of adolescents. In the case of binge drinking

specifically, engagement in marijuana use has been found to exist at higher rates among individu-

als who binge drink (Jones, Oeltmann, Wilson, Brener, & Hill, 2001; Kogan, Cho, Brody, &

Beach, 2017). Furthermore, Keith, Hart, McNeil, Silver, and Goodwin (2015) found that

increased frequency of marijuana use was found to be associated with increased frequency of

binge drinking. The identified research is demonstrative of the high risk of abuse of both these

substances among juvenile offenders.