Examining the Context of Cannabis Use and Parenting: An Exploratory Ecological Momentary Assessment Study

Abstract

SYNOPSIS: Objective. In our pilot exploratory study, we recruited a sample of cannabis-using parents to understand (1) the extent to which parents were using cannabis in the presence of their child(ren); (2) the relationship between cannabis use and parenting behaviors; (3) whether the context of cannabis use (who was present, how was cannabis consumed) was related to parenting behavior in concurrent and subsequent time periods. Design. We conducted a 15-day geographic ecological momentary assessment (gEMA) with 77 parents who used cannabis and lived in the greater Sacramento, California region. Parents were asked to complete 5 surveys per day for 14 days and 1 survey on day 15. In total, parents completed 4,138 total observations. For our study, we focus on 2,458 daily observations when parents were with their children. Respondents answered questions about their cannabis use, the context in which it was used, and about parenting behaviors. Data were analyzed using multi-level logistic models. Results. Parents rarely used cannabis with their children present. Parents had greater odds of using positive parenting during the same and subsequent time periods when using cannabis. The relationship of the parent to individuals who were present during the cannabis use was related to the use of positive and aggressive parenting. Conclusions. Our findings reveal a complicated relationship between cannabis use and parenting among a sample of cannabis users. However, it also provides some information on ways parents can engage in harm reduction to support positive parenting.