Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41895140›Full record

ArticleDrug and alcohol dependence2026

Cannabis legalization and early adolescent expectancies: Findings from the adolescent brain cognitive development study.

Colbey Ricklefs, Glenn-Milo Santos, Claire D Brindis, Fiona C Baker, Jason M Nagata

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Drug and alcohol dependence, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Colbey RicklefsDivision of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA; Division of Prevention Science, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA. Electronic address: colbey.ricklefs@ucsf.edu.
Glenn-Milo SantosDivision of Prevention Science, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Community Health Systems, School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Claire D BrindisDivision of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA; Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Fiona C BakerCenter for Health Sciences, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA, USA.
Jason M NagataDivision of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA; Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Funding

TRAINEESHIPS IN AIDS PREVENTION STUDIEST32MH019105 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI Carol Suzanne Camlin, Glenn-Milo Santos · 1989 to 2026
$15.3M
Longitudinal pathways between adolescent social media use and substance use: Informing evidence-based guidanceR01DA064134 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI Jason M Nagata · 2025 to 2026
$1.5M
NIDA NIH HHS R01 DA064134NIMH NIH HHS T32 MH019105
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeCannabis legalization in the U.S. has introduced an ongoing public health challenge. Among adults, cannabis legalization is associated with increased cannabis use and shifting attitudes toward cannabis use. These expectancies, or personal beliefs about the outcomes of a behavior, are both positive (e.g., increased relaxation) and negative (e.g., cognitive impairment). With rapid shifts in state-level cannabis legislation, the associations of these policies with adolescent cannabis expectancies are unknown.

methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study from the Year 2 follow-up (2018-2020, average age: 12 years) via Poisson analysis to investigate the association between state-level cannabis legalization and positive and negative cannabis expectancies via the Marijuana Effect Expectancy Questionnaire-Brief, controlling for sociodemographic covariates.

resultsA total of 8356 participants lived in states with no (NCL, 34%), medical (MCL, 39%), or recreational (RCL, 27%) cannabis legalization in place. Compared to NCL states, participants from both MCL (ARR=1.09, 95%CI: 1.07-1.11, p < 0.001) and RCL (ARR=1.08, 95%CI: 1.06-1.11, p < 0.001) states were more likely to report positive cannabis expectancies. Those from MCL states were less likely to report negative cannabis expectancies (ARR=0.98, 95%CI: 0.97-0.99, p = 0.017). DISCUSSION: These findings indicate that early adolescents from states with medical and recreational cannabis legalization may have higher positive cannabis expectancies compared to those from states with no cannabis legalization. Our results may have important implications for public health officials, policymakers, and clinicians working to help adolescents understand the effects of cannabis use.

Indexed as

Adolescent BehaviorAdolescent DevelopmentCognitionLegislation, DrugMarijuana SmokingMarijuana UseAdolescentCannabisChildCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleOutcome ExpectationsUnited Statesadolescentscannabiscannabis usehealth policymedical marijuanaoutcome expectations

Identifiers

PMID41895140
PMCPMC13196197

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.