Claudia-Laverne Bosworth
Research Mentor: Sunghyun Hong
Mentor Department: Not Available, Social Work
Author(s): Claudia-Laverne Bosworth, Sunghyun Hong
Session: Session 4 (1:00 PM – 1:50 PM)
Presentation Type: Poster 8
Abstract
Cannabis use among young adults (aged 18–29) in the United States has reached historically high levels, coinciding with the rapid expansion of state-level legalization. Despite these shifts, empirical research on young adult cannabis use remains comparatively limited and is often framed primarily within paradigms of illicit drug use or risky behavior. Such approaches inadequately capture the complexity of contemporary cannabis use, including evolving social norms, motivations for use, and perceived benefits and concerns. Moreover, existing research disproportionately emphasizes health-related harms, with less attention to the social, perceptual, and contextual dimensions that shape cannabis use trajectories among young adults. To address these gaps, the present project will conduct a scoping literature review of peer-reviewed articles published in 2005 or later, reflecting the early emergence of increased public discourse and policy shifts surrounding cannabis legalization in the United States. The review will synthesize literature on the prevalence of cannabis use among U.S. young adults, with attention to variation in socioeconomic position. Overall, this scoping review aims to map the current state of knowledge, identify conceptual, methodological, and empirical gaps in the literature, and highlight underexplored areas critical to understanding cannabis use in contemporary young adulthood. Findings will inform future research directions and support the development of more nuanced, contextually grounded approaches to studying cannabis use beyond traditional risk-focused frameworks.
