Continuity of cannabis use and violent offending over the life course

T. Schoeler; D. Theobald; J. B. Pingault; D. P. Farrington; W. G. Jennings; A. R. Piquero; J. W. Coid; Sagnik Bhattacharyya

doi:10.1017/S0033291715003001

Continuity of cannabis use and violent offending over the life course

T. Schoeler, D. Theobald, J. B. Pingault, D. P. Farrington, W. G. Jennings, A. R. Piquero, J. W. Coid, Sagnik Bhattacharyya^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

50 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: Although the association between cannabis use and violence has been reported in the literature, the precise nature of this relationship, especially the directionality of the association, is unclear. Method: Young males from the Cambridge Study of Delinquent Development (n = 411) were followed up between the ages of 8 and 56 years to prospectively investigate the association between cannabis use and violence. A multi-wave (eight assessments, T1–T8) follow-up design was employed that allowed temporal sequencing of the variables of interest and the analysis of violent outcome measures obtained from two sources: (i) criminal records (violent conviction); and (ii) self-reports. A combination of analytic approaches allowing inferences as to the directionality of associations was employed, including multivariate logistic regression analysis, fixed-effects analysis and cross-lagged modelling. Results: Multivariable logistic regression revealed that compared with never-users, continued exposure to cannabis (use at age 18, 32 and 48 years) was associated with a higher risk of subsequent violent behaviour, as indexed by convictions [odds ratio (OR) 7.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.19–23.59] or self-reports (OR 8.9, 95% CI 2.37–46.21). This effect persisted after controlling for other putative risk factors for violence. In predicting violence, fixed-effects analysis and cross-lagged modelling further indicated that this effect could not be explained by other unobserved time-invariant factors. Furthermore, these analyses uncovered a bi-directional relationship between cannabis use and violence. Conclusions: Together, these results provide strong indication that cannabis use predicts subsequent violent offending, suggesting a possible causal effect, and provide empirical evidence that may have implications for public policy.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1663-77
Number of pages	15
Journal	Psychological Medicine
Volume	46
Issue number	8
Early online date	10 Mar 2016
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291715003001
Publication status	Published - Jun 2016

Keywords

Cannabis
epidemiology
violence
Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1017/S0033291715003001

Cite this

@article{51c3bae97d2747ab9cc9e620a3a55fa7,

title = "Continuity of cannabis use and violent offending over the life course",

abstract = "Background: Although the association between cannabis use and violence has been reported in the literature, the precise nature of this relationship, especially the directionality of the association, is unclear. Method: Young males from the Cambridge Study of Delinquent Development (n = 411) were followed up between the ages of 8 and 56 years to prospectively investigate the association between cannabis use and violence. A multi-wave (eight assessments, T1–T8) follow-up design was employed that allowed temporal sequencing of the variables of interest and the analysis of violent outcome measures obtained from two sources: (i) criminal records (violent conviction); and (ii) self-reports. A combination of analytic approaches allowing inferences as to the directionality of associations was employed, including multivariate logistic regression analysis, fixed-effects analysis and cross-lagged modelling. Results: Multivariable logistic regression revealed that compared with never-users, continued exposure to cannabis (use at age 18, 32 and 48 years) was associated with a higher risk of subsequent violent behaviour, as indexed by convictions [odds ratio (OR) 7.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.19–23.59] or self-reports (OR 8.9, 95% CI 2.37–46.21). This effect persisted after controlling for other putative risk factors for violence. In predicting violence, fixed-effects analysis and cross-lagged modelling further indicated that this effect could not be explained by other unobserved time-invariant factors. Furthermore, these analyses uncovered a bi-directional relationship between cannabis use and violence. Conclusions: Together, these results provide strong indication that cannabis use predicts subsequent violent offending, suggesting a possible causal effect, and provide empirical evidence that may have implications for public policy.",

keywords = "Cannabis, epidemiology, violence, Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol",

author = "T. Schoeler and D. Theobald and Pingault, {J. B.} and Farrington, {D. P.} and Jennings, {W. G.} and Piquero, {A. R.} and Coid, {J. W.} and Sagnik Bhattacharyya",

year = "2016",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1017/S0033291715003001",

language = "English",

volume = "46",

pages = "1663--77",

journal = "Psychological Medicine",

issn = "0033-2917",

publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

number = "8",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Continuity of cannabis use and violent offending over the life course

AU - Schoeler, T.

AU - Theobald, D.

AU - Pingault, J. B.

AU - Farrington, D. P.

AU - Jennings, W. G.

AU - Piquero, A. R.

AU - Coid, J. W.

AU - Bhattacharyya, Sagnik

PY - 2016/6

Y1 - 2016/6

N2 - Background: Although the association between cannabis use and violence has been reported in the literature, the precise nature of this relationship, especially the directionality of the association, is unclear. Method: Young males from the Cambridge Study of Delinquent Development (n = 411) were followed up between the ages of 8 and 56 years to prospectively investigate the association between cannabis use and violence. A multi-wave (eight assessments, T1–T8) follow-up design was employed that allowed temporal sequencing of the variables of interest and the analysis of violent outcome measures obtained from two sources: (i) criminal records (violent conviction); and (ii) self-reports. A combination of analytic approaches allowing inferences as to the directionality of associations was employed, including multivariate logistic regression analysis, fixed-effects analysis and cross-lagged modelling. Results: Multivariable logistic regression revealed that compared with never-users, continued exposure to cannabis (use at age 18, 32 and 48 years) was associated with a higher risk of subsequent violent behaviour, as indexed by convictions [odds ratio (OR) 7.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.19–23.59] or self-reports (OR 8.9, 95% CI 2.37–46.21). This effect persisted after controlling for other putative risk factors for violence. In predicting violence, fixed-effects analysis and cross-lagged modelling further indicated that this effect could not be explained by other unobserved time-invariant factors. Furthermore, these analyses uncovered a bi-directional relationship between cannabis use and violence. Conclusions: Together, these results provide strong indication that cannabis use predicts subsequent violent offending, suggesting a possible causal effect, and provide empirical evidence that may have implications for public policy.

AB - Background: Although the association between cannabis use and violence has been reported in the literature, the precise nature of this relationship, especially the directionality of the association, is unclear. Method: Young males from the Cambridge Study of Delinquent Development (n = 411) were followed up between the ages of 8 and 56 years to prospectively investigate the association between cannabis use and violence. A multi-wave (eight assessments, T1–T8) follow-up design was employed that allowed temporal sequencing of the variables of interest and the analysis of violent outcome measures obtained from two sources: (i) criminal records (violent conviction); and (ii) self-reports. A combination of analytic approaches allowing inferences as to the directionality of associations was employed, including multivariate logistic regression analysis, fixed-effects analysis and cross-lagged modelling. Results: Multivariable logistic regression revealed that compared with never-users, continued exposure to cannabis (use at age 18, 32 and 48 years) was associated with a higher risk of subsequent violent behaviour, as indexed by convictions [odds ratio (OR) 7.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.19–23.59] or self-reports (OR 8.9, 95% CI 2.37–46.21). This effect persisted after controlling for other putative risk factors for violence. In predicting violence, fixed-effects analysis and cross-lagged modelling further indicated that this effect could not be explained by other unobserved time-invariant factors. Furthermore, these analyses uncovered a bi-directional relationship between cannabis use and violence. Conclusions: Together, these results provide strong indication that cannabis use predicts subsequent violent offending, suggesting a possible causal effect, and provide empirical evidence that may have implications for public policy.

KW - Cannabis

KW - epidemiology

KW - violence

KW - Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84960113186&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1017/S0033291715003001

DO - 10.1017/S0033291715003001

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84960113186

SN - 0033-2917

VL - 46

SP - 1663

EP - 1677

JO - Psychological Medicine

JF - Psychological Medicine

IS - 8

ER -

Continuity of cannabis use and violent offending over the life course

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this