Table 1.
Systematic reviews and prospective studies considering cannabis use data during the pandemica
| Study/country | Measurement points/SARS-COV-2 wave | Population | Cannabis | Further results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systematic review | ||||
|
Jones et al. (2021) USA |
First wave | Included were 16 international studies (web based self-reports) of substance use in youth/adolescents | Globally, adolescents of varying backgrounds (including LGBTQb) experience higher rates of anxiety, depression, and stress due to the pandemic. Adolescents also have a higher frequency of using alcohol and cannabis during the pandemic for coping the pandemic | |
|
Layman et al. (2022) USA |
First and second wave | Included 49 international studies of substance use in adolescents/youths, relying on web based self-reports | 20 studies included measures on use of cannabis, including marijuana, hashish, and edibles. Four, five, and three studies reported an increase, decrease, and no change in cannabis use, respectively. Eight studies reported neither an increase nor a decrease | Prevalence of youth/adolescent substance use has largely declined during the pandemic |
| Prospective studies | ||||
|
Graupensperger et al. (2021) Washington State, USA |
Two self-report surveys: prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (January 2020) and again during the initial acute phase of the pandemic (April/May of 2020) First wave |
Community sample of young adults (N = 572; mean age = 25.1 years; 60.8% female) | No changes in cannabis use; significant use motive changes: use against boredom increased, celebration motives decreased | Increased alcohol use frequency, decreased amount per drinking occasion; significant use motive changes: increase for depression coping, decreases for social, enhancement, and conformity motives |
|
Hawke et al. (2021) Ontario, Canada |
Four self-report time points, i.e., every two months beginning in the early stages of the pandemic in April 2020 First and second wave |
N = 619 youths/adolescents/young adults aged 14–28 years, 62.7% female, 61.4% Caucasian), urban hospital sample | No change | No change in various substance use |
|
Pelham et al. (2021) 21 study sites across the USA |
Three assessments between May and August 2020—compared to pre-pandemic surveys of the same participants (2018–2020), self-reports First Wave |
The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. N = 7,842 youths; range = 10.5–14.6) | No change in rare cannabis use | Compared to before the pandemic, fewer youth were using alcohol and more youth were using nicotine or misusing prescription drugs |
|
Wang et al. (2021) Florida, USA |
Baseline survey between 2018 and 2020 and a brief phone survey between May and October 2020, self-report First Wave |
N = 222 people living with HIV (mean age = 50.2, 50.9% female, 14.5% Hispanic, 64.7% Black, 15.8% White, 5% other | N = 122(55%) reported no change. N = 36 (16.2%) reported decreased use, N = 64/222(28.8%) described increased marijuana use, Increased use was associated with PTSD at baseline, and worsened health during the pandemic | |
|
Chaffee et al. (2021) Northern California, USA |
6 month follow up, 2019- 2020, before and after the stay-at-home order, self-report First Wave |
N = 1006 adolescents, 62% female, 49% were non-Hispanic White; ninth- and tenth-grade students enrolled at 8 public high schools | No relevant change | No relevant change of tobacco and alcohol use, decline of physical activity |
|
Leatherdale et al. (2021) Quebec/Ontario, Canada |
Online; early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic period, 2020, self-report First wave |
N = 1937 cannabis using schooled youths | No relevant change | |
|
Cousijn et al. (2021) The Netherlands |
On-line between January 2019 and May 2020, self-report First Wave |
Daily cannabis users (N = 120, aged 18–46) vs Controls (N = 63, aged 18–31) |
Significantly increased cannabis use during lockdown, but no increase in cannabis use disorder symptom severity and mental health problems. Cannabis users experienced 30% job loss and significantly increased loneliness, while contact with partners and families significantly improved | |
|
Rogés et al. (2021) Central Catalonia, Spain |
Before lockdown (October 2019–February 2020) and 2 months after the lockdown ended, self-reports First Wave |
N = .303 schooled adolescents aged 14–18 | Trend of reduction of cannabis use with the exception of Vocational and Educational Training (VET)-students (increase of hazardous cannabis use) | Trend of reduction of consumption with the exception of Vocational and Educational Training (VET)-students (increase in binge drinking, hazardous drinking of alcohol, and daily smoking of tobacco |
|
Dumas et al. (2022) Ontario, Canada |
Four self-report internet surveys (spring 2020),starting during the first stay-at-home order and ending approximately 14 months later First and second wave |
Adolescents (N = 1068, 14–18 years, mean age = 16.9 years and 76.7% female) |
Significant decreases and increases in cannabis use during the first stay-at-home and re-opening orders, respectively, but not during the second lockdown and re-opening | The same applied to alcohol use and binge drinking |
|
Otiashvili et al. (2022) Tsibili, Georgia |
Bi-weekly online survey in April-September, 2020, self-reports First Wave |
50 drug using adults (mean age: 36; 22% female), recruited through a snow-ball sampling | Use of cannabis products declined significantly | Participants used significantly fewer substances, including alcohol and diverted methadone/buprenorphine |
|
Pocuca et al. (2022) Quebec, Canada |
Quebec longitudinal study of child development, who completed prepandemic (2019; 21 years) and COVID-19 (mid-March to mid-June 2020) surveys, self-reports First Wave |
N = 1,080; 54% female) young adults, 21–22 years | No changes in cannabis use | Significantly decreased binge drinking, no changes in alcohol use |
|
Meanley et al. (2022) USA |
Two pre-COVID-19 (October 2018–September 2019) and one COVID-19-era (April 2020–September 2020), time-points within the MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study (MWCCS), self-reports First Wave |
People living with HIV (N = 2121, 53.5 years (SD = 10.1)), predominantly people of color (73.6%), 62.3% females, | No change of cannabis use | Binge drinking and recreational drug use decreased at the beginning of the pandemic. male sex and having depressive symptoms early pandemic were positively associated with each substance use outcomes. Social support was negatively associated with recreational drug use |
|
Patrick et al. (2022) USA, National Sample |
Followed from the 12th grade in spring 2019 to fall 2020, self-reports First wave |
N = 1244, mean age 19.6 years | No information about change; COVID-19-related isolation was associated with marijuana use | 8.9% increased vaping, and 8.2% increased drinking to cope with social distancing and isolation |
|
Imtiaz et al. (2022) Canada |
Repeated cross-sectional design; data from six waves of a national, online survey of adults residing in Canada who spoke English (May-08 2020 to December-01 2020) First wave |
N = 6,021; 18–> 50 years | No change | |
|
Sznitman (2022) Israel |
Two online surveys corresponding to the first and the second lockdown periods First and second wave |
N = 116 monthly adult cannabis users | Increased cannabis use, solitary use, and use before noon during both lockdown periods. Lockdown coping motives were related to reported increases in cannabis use. People with increased cannabis use at lockdown two reported more dependence symptoms | |
|
Dietz et al. (2022) Mainz, Germany |
Three online surveys, pre-pandemic 2019 during pandemic, 2020, during pandemic 2021 First and second wave |
University students First survey: N = 4350, mean age 23.8; second survey N = 3066, mean age = 23.4; third survey N = 1438, mean age = 23.7 |
Decreased cannabis use for neuroenhancement | Decreased pharmacological neuroenhancement per se |
|
Sylvestre et al. (2022) Montreal, Canada |
Ongoing longitudinal study (since 1999, including at that time 12–13 years old youths of 10 high schools); Pre-pandemic data on use of combustible cigarette, e-cigarette, alcohol, binge drinking and cannabis were collected at ages 20.4, 24.0 and 30.6. Data were again collected from December 2020 to June 2021 Second wave |
Nicotine Dependence in Teens study, Montreal, Canada, 2007–21 N = 704 young adults, mean age: age 33.6, 60.2% female |
Compared to the beginning of the study significantly decreased weekly/daily cannabis use (2007: 44.3%, 2021; 23%). The last pre-pandemic investigation revealed 17.5% -indicating an increase during the pandemic Compared to the beginning of the study significantly decreased weekly/daily use of alcohol (90.6% vs 44.2%), binge drinking (76% vs 7.9%), combustible cigarettes (47.1% vs 11.9%, e-cigarettes (NA vs 5.4%). The last pre-pandemic investigation revealed for alcohol 49.1%, for binge drinking 9.1%, combustible cigarettes 18%, e-cigarettes 5.4%—indicating a slight decrease of alcohol use, binge drinking and cigarettes use as well as a slight increase of the e-cigarettes use during the pandemic Low education level and living alone were associated with higher risks of initiated/increased use of most substances |
|
aPublished in PubMed up to 08/01/2022
bLesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) adolescents