The lasting effects of marijuana use on educational attainment in midlife.
Data from the NLSY79, a U.S. nationally representative longitudinal survey of labor market behavior, sponsored and directed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor, was used to assess the influence of marijuana use on educational attainment (N = 7,724). Multivariate nested OLS models assessed the associations of marijuana use in 1979, 1984, and 1998 with educational attainment in 2002. Adolescent, frequent, and persistent users experienced lower attainment at ages 37 to 45 than nonusers even when use was confined to adolescence. Implications of the findings, limitations of the study, and suggestions for future research are discussed.
The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Sociology and Crime, Law, & Justice, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA. akr117@psu.edu
Andrea Kay
AK
Ryan
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors