title: Trajectories of marijuana use from adolescence to adulthood predicting unemployment in the mid 30s.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Unemployment (5.5% as of 2015) is a serious social and economic problem in our society. Since marijuana use is an important factor related to unemployment, identifying the trajectory of the use of marijuana may aid intervention programs and research on unemployment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six hundred seventy-four participants (53% African-Americans, 47% Puerto Ricans) were surveyed (60% females) from ages 14 to 36. The first data collection was held when the participants were students attending schools in the East Harlem area of New York City.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that the chronic marijuana use (OR = 4.07, p < .001; AOR = 2.58, p < .05) and the late marijuana quitter (OR = 2.91, p < .05) trajectory groups were associated with an increased likelihood of unemployment compared with the no marijuana use trajectory group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that those who use marijuana chronically are at greater risk for being unemployed. Consequently, these individuals should have access to and participate in marijuana cessation treatment programs in order to reduce their risk of unemployment. Unemployment intervention programs should also consider focusing on the cessation of the use of marijuana to decrease the likelihood of later unemployment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Jung Yeon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Judith S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Brook
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York.
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Finch
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Brook
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D009519:New York City; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014478:Unemployment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult