Identifying Factors Influencing the Tendency Toward Cannabis Use Among Adolescents and Young Adults Based on Grounded Theory

Shahnaz  Beshkooh; Hasan Heydari; Hossein Davudi

Authors

Shahnaz Beshkooh Department of Counseling, Khom.C., Islamic Azad University, Khomein, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0008-9296-4590
Hasan Heydari Associate Professor, Department of Counseling, Khom.C., Islamic Azad University, Khomein, Iran Corresponding Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9845-4128
Hossein Davudi Assistant Professor, Department of Counseling, Khom.C., Islamic Azad University, Khomein, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4701-4958

Keywords:

tendency toward substance use, cannabis, adolescents, young adults, grounded theory

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the factors influencing the tendency toward cannabis use among adolescents and young adults based on grounded theory. The present study employed a qualitative research design using a grounded theory approach. The target population consisted of all adolescents and young adults who used cannabis in Hashtgerd during 2025–2026. The sampling process initially began using purposive sampling and subsequently continued through snowball sampling. The criterion for determining the sample size was theoretical saturation. Following the emergence of conceptual categories after 17 interviews, theoretical saturation was achieved. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was based on the method proposed by Corbin and Strauss (2014). The findings indicated that the tendency toward cannabis use among adolescents and young adults, as the core phenomenon, is shaped by a complex network of causal factors, overlooked strategies, and intervening contexts. The causal conditions, including individual and interpersonal factors, function as the primary drivers that create the motivation and conditions conducive to cannabis use. The intervening context, comprising environmental-economic and cultural-normative factors, strengthens or moderates this tendency and, as a set of contextual conditions, regulates the magnitude of the effects of the causal conditions. Meanwhile, overlooked strategies, such as the lack of preventive educational programs or misinformation regarding the effects of cannabis, as well as weaknesses in policymaking and the enforcement of deterrent laws, restrict opportunities for effective intervention and contribute to the persistence or intensification of the tendency toward cannabis use. Based on the findings, the design and implementation of a comprehensive multilevel intervention program in schools and local communities through collaboration among the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, and nongovernmental organizations are recommended.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Adejoh, S. O., Adisa, W. B., Onome, O., Anyimukwu, C., & Olorunlana, A. (2020). The Influence of Social Media on Illicit Drug Sale and Use among Undergraduates in Lagos, Nigeria. Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education, 64(2), 20-40.

Ahuja, M., Haeny, A. M., Sartor, C. E., & Bucholz, K. K. (2022). Perceived Racial and Social Class Discrimination and Cannabis Involvement among Black Youth and Young Adults. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 232, 109304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109304

Akter, S., Rathi, S. R., & Hossain, A. (2021). Parental Acceptance-Rejection and Self-Esteem of Marijuana Used Young Adults. Jagganath University Journal of Psychology, 11(1).

Andreas, J. B., Sivertsen, B., Lønning, K. J., & Skogen, J. C. (2021). Cannabis Use among Norwegian University Students: Gender Differences, Legalization Support and Use Intentions, Risk Perceptions, and Use Disorder. Addictive Behaviors Reports, 13, 100339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2021.100339

Belfiore, C. I., Galofaro, V., Cotroneo, D., Lopis, A., Tringali, I., Denaro, V., & Casu, M. (2024). A Multi-Level Analysis of Biological, Social, and Psychological Determinants of Substance Use Disorder and Co-Occurring Mental Health Outcomes. Psychoactives, 3(2), 194-214. https://doi.org/10.3390/psychoactives3020013

Cloutier, R. M., Anderson, K. G., Kearns, N. T., Carey, C. N., & Blumenthal, H. (2021). An Experimental Investigation of Peer Rejection and Social Anxiety on Alcohol and Cannabis Use Willingness: Accounting for Social Contexts and Use Cues in the Laboratory. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 35(8), 887. https://doi.org/10.1037/adb0000711

Corbin, J. M., Strauss, A. L., & Strauss, A. L. (2014). Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory (Vol. 3). Sage.

Coughenour, P., Sadicario, J. S., Karjane, N., Parlier-Ahmad, A. B., Phipps, L., & Svikis, D. S. (2021). Prevalence and Social Acceptability of Cannabis, Tobacco, and Alcohol Use in Adult Women. Women's Health Reports, 2(1), whr.2021.0042. https://doi.org/10.1089/whr.2021.0042

Crabtree, M. A., Stanley, L. R., & Swaim, R. C. (2020). The Role of Future Orientation and Self-Determination on American Indian Adolescents' Intentions to Use Alcohol and Marijuana. Prevention Science, 21(6), 761-771. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-020-01104-8

Cupertino, R. B., Medland, S. E., Ottino-Gonzalez, J., Cao, Z., Juliano, A., Pancholi, D., Banaschewski, T., Bokde, A. L., Desrivières, S., & Flor, H. (2025). Impulsivity Behaviors and White Matter Mediate the Relationship between Genetic Risk for Cannabis Use Disorder and Early Cannabis Use in Adolescents. Addiction, 120(5), 984-996. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.16750

Drydakis, N. (2022). The Perceived Social Rejection of Sexual Minorities: Substance Use and Unprotected Sexual Intercourse. Drug and Alcohol Review, 41(6), 1341-1354. https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13500

Ertl, N., Freeman, T. P., Mokrysz, C., Ofori, S., Borissova, A., Petrilli, K., Curran, H. V., Lawn, W., & Wall, M. B. (2024). Acute Effects of Different Types of Cannabis on Young Adult and Adolescent Resting-State Brain Networks. Neuropsychopharmacology, 49(10), 1640-1651. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-024-01891-6

Fusco, R. A. (2021). Frequent Marijuana or Alcohol Use in Low-Income Emerging Adults: Impact of Adverse Life Experiences. Substance Use & Misuse, 56(5), 711-717. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2021.1892140

Garnere, K. (2023). Cannabis Use, Self-Esteem, and Self-Worth

Gelberg, L., Beck, D., Koerber, J., Akabike, W. N., Dardick, L., Lin, C., Shoptaw, S., & Javanbakht, M. (2024). Cannabis Use Reported by Patients Receiving Primary Care in a Large Health System. JAMA Network Open, 7(6), e2414809. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.14809

Gmel, G., Marmet, S., Wicki, M., Studer, J., & Dietze, P. (2025). The Association between Changes in Peer Pressure and Changes in Alcohol and Cannabis Use: A Prospective Cohort Study among Men during Emerging Adulthood. European Addiction Research, 31(2), 113-124. https://doi.org/10.1159/000544858

Goodman, S., & Hammond, D. (2022). Perceptions of the Health Risks of Cannabis: Estimates from National Surveys in Canada and the United States, 2018-2019. Health Education Research, 37(2), 61-78. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyac006

Gutierrez, K. M., & Cooper, T. V. (2016). The Use of Social Networking Sites: A Risk Factor for Using Alcohol, Marijuana, and Synthetic Cannabinoids? Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 163, 247-250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.03.021

Hathaway, A. (2019). Evidence-Based Policy Development for Cannabis? Insights on Preventing Use by Youth. Canadian Public Administration, 62(4), 593-611. https://doi.org/10.1111/capa.12350

Herchenroeder, L., Mezquita, L., Bravo, A. J., Pilatti, A., Prince, M. A., & Study Team, C. C. A. (2022). A Cross-National Examination of Cannabis Protective Behavioral Strategies' Role in the Relationship between Big Five Personality Traits and Cannabis Outcomes. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 48(1), 27-37. https://doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2021.1919689

Hernández-Serrano, O., Gras, M. E., Gacto, M., Brugarola, A., & Font-Mayolas, S. (2021). Family Climate and Intention to Use Cannabis as Predictors of Cannabis Use and Cannabis-Related Problems among Young University Students. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(17), 9308. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18179308

Hines, L. A., Freeman, T. P., Gage, S. H., Zammit, S., Hickman, M., Cannon, M., Munafo, M., MacLeod, J., & Heron, J. (2020). Association of High-Potency Cannabis Use with Mental Health and Substance Use in Adolescence. JAMA Psychiatry, 77(10), 1044-1051. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.1035

Huỳnh, C., Beaulieu-Thibodeau, A., Fallu, J. S., Bergeron, J., Flores-Aranda, J., Jacques, A., & Brochu, S. (2022). Risk Factors Associated with Driving after Cannabis Use among Canadian Young Adults. Journal of Drug Issues, 52(2), 144-167. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220426211049359

Jain, T., Patriquin, M., & Sanches, M. (2025). Associations between Big Five Personality Dimensions and Lifetime Use of Cannabis. The American Journal on Addictions, 34(3), 322-326. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajad.13668

Kavousi, P., Giamo, T., Arnold, G., Alliende, M., Huynh, E., Lea, J., Lucine, R., Tillett Miller, A., Webre, A., & Yee, A. (2022). What Do We Know about Opportunities and Challenges for Localities from Cannabis Legalization? Review of Policy Research, 39(2), 143-169. https://doi.org/10.1111/ropr.12460

Kosty, D. B., Farmer, R. F., Seeley, J. R., Gau, J. M., Duncan, S. C., & Lewinsohn, P. M. (2015). Parental Transmission of Risk for Cannabis Use Disorders to Offspring. Addiction, 110(7), 1110-1117. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.12914

Kvillemo, P., Strandberg, A. K., & Gripenberg, J. (2022). Attitudes to Cannabis Use and Public Prevention Information among Young Adults: A Qualitative Interview Study with Implications for Prevention Practice. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 830201. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.830201

Lawn, W., Mokrysz, C., Lees, R., Trinci, K., Petrilli, K., Skumlien, M., Borissova, A., Ofori, S., Bird, C., & Jones, G. (2022). The CannTeen Study: Cannabis Use Disorder, Depression, Anxiety, and Psychotic-Like Symptoms in Adolescent and Adult Cannabis Users and Age-Matched Controls. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 36(12), 1350-1361. https://doi.org/10.1177/02698811221108956

Lee, J., Krishnan-Sarin, S., & Kong, G. (2023). Social Media Use and Cannabis Vaping Initiation among US Youth. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 249, 109949. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.109949

Littlecott, H., Moore, G., Evans, R., Melendez-Torres, G., McCann, M., Reed, H., Mann, M., Dobbie, F., Jennings, S., & Donaldson, C. (2023). Perceptions of Friendship, Peers and Influence on Adolescent Smoking According to Tobacco Control Context: A Systematic Review and Meta-Ethnography of Qualitative Research. BMC public health, 23(1), 424. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14727-z

Loher, M., Steinhoff, A., Bechtiger, L., Ribeaud, D., Eisner, M., Shanahan, L., & Quednow, B. B. (2025). Disentangling the Effects of Self-Control and the Use of Tobacco and Cannabis on Violence Perpetration from Childhood to Early Adulthood. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 34(3), 1063-1074. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-024-02536-1

Manthey, J., Jacobsen, B., Hayer, T., Kalke, J., López-Pelayo, H., Pons-Cabrera, M. T., Verthein, U., & Rosenkranz, M. (2023). The Impact of Legal Cannabis Availability on Cannabis Use and Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Drug Policy, 116, 104039. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104039

Mennis, J., Stahler, G. J., & Mason, M. J. (2023). Cannabis Legalization and the Decline of Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) Treatment Utilization in the US. Current Addiction Reports, 10(1), 38-51. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-022-00461-4

Novak, M., Maglica, T., & Radetic Paic, M. (2023). School, Family, and Peer Predictors of Adolescent Alcohol and Marijuana Use. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, 30(5), 486-496. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687637.2022.2073869

Park, S. Y., Ryu, S. Y., Constantino, N., Yun, G. W., Jennings, E., & Fred, D. (2022). Marijuana Knowledge, Confidence in Knowledge, and Information Efficacy as the Protective and Risk Factors of Marijuana Use among College Students. Journal of American College Health, 70(2), 363-370. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2020.1751171

Petrilli, K., Hines, L., Adams, S., Morgan, C. J., Curran, H. V., & Freeman, T. P. (2023). High Potency Cannabis Use, Mental Health Symptoms and Cannabis Dependence: Triangulating the Evidence. Addictive behaviors, 144, 107740. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107740

Pilon, F., Dumais, A., Giguere, C. E., & Potvin, S. (2025). The Effects of Cannabis Use Disorder on Cognitive Functions: A Meta-Analysis. Addictive behaviors, 108434. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108434

Siddiqui, S. A., Singh, P., Khan, S., Fernando, I., Baklanov, I. S., Ambartsumov, T. G., & Ibrahim, S. A. (2022). Cultural, Social and Psychological Factors of the Conservative Consumer towards Legal Cannabis Use-A Review since 2013. Sustainability, 14(17), 10993. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141710993

Urits, I., Gress, K., Charipova, K., Li, N., Berger, A. A., Cornett, E. M., Hasoon, J., Kassem, H., Kaye, A. D., & Viswanath, O. (2020). Cannabis Use and Its Association with Psychological Disorders. Psychopharmacology Bulletin, 50(2), 56. https://doi.org/10.64719/pb.4606

Wadsworth, E., Driezen, P., Chan, G., Hall, W., & Hammond, D. (2022). Perceived Access to Cannabis and Ease of Purchasing Cannabis in Retail Stores in Canada Immediately before and One Year after Legalization. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 48(2), 195-205. https://doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2021.2003808

Wagner, M. F., Oliveira, C. R. d., & Paloski, L. H. (2022). Levels of Impulsivity in Individuals with Cannabis Use Disorder. Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, 44(suppl 1), e20210449. https://doi.org/10.47626/2237-6089-2021-0449

Winters, A. M., Malouff, J. M., & Schutte, N. S. (2022). The Association between the Five-Factor Model of Personality and Problem Cannabis Use: A Meta-Analysis. Personality and individual differences, 193, 111635. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2022.111635

Yang, E. S., Oh, S. K., Kim, S., & Chung, I. J. (2022). The Influence of Parent and Peer Disapproval on Youth Marijuana Use Mediated by Youth Risk Perception: Focusing on the State Comparison. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 240, 109641. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109641

Zvolensky, M. J., Kauffman, B. Y., Garey, L., Buckner, J. D., Businelle, M. S., & Reitzel, L. R. (2024). Financial Strain among Adult African American/Black Cannabis Users. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 23(2), 365-377. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332640.2022.2092924