Family practices, peers, music, movies, advertisements, laws, and regulations influence social values and norms, individual beliefs and attitudes, and the actual use of cannabis.
In 2022 in LAC, cannabis users typically used it with friends (51.5%). About one third (33.4%) typically used cannabis alone, and one-tenth (10.5%) typically used it with family members. A small proportion used cannabis in more than one setting (4.5%) (Figure 1).
The typical setting of cannabis use was similar across demographic groups.
In 2022, among cannabis users in LAC, the most frequently reported reasons for using cannabis were to relax (62.9%), for fun (57.9%), or to deal with anxiety/stress (41.3%).
Medical-related reasons for using cannabis were also commonly reported. Among cannabis users, 38.4% reported using cannabis to help sleep, 22.2% reported using cannabis to treat chronic pain, and 6.8% used cannabis to replace prescription medications (Figure 2).
In 2022 in LAC, cannabis users most commonly got their cannabis from a dispensary (39.4%), followed by friends (33.2%) or family/relatives (8.9%) for their most recent use.
A relatively small proportion of cannabis users got cannabis from a dealer (4.4%), smoke shop (3.7%), home/self-grown (3.2%) or a delivery service (2.6%) for their most recent use (Figure 3).
In LAC in 2022, of those who ever used cannabis, nearly all (90.5%) had used cannabis by smoking it. More than half (62.9%) had used cannabis edibles, and 43.0% had vaped cannabis (Figure 4).
Cannabis can affect the ability to carry out normal functions, such as working and studying. Despite this, in LAC, 28.3% of those who had ever used cannabis reported having gone to work/school under the influence of cannabis.
In 2022 in LAC, nearly half (48.4%) of youth aged 12-17 who had ever used cannabis reported having gone to school under the influence of cannabis. Adult users aged 40+ were least likely (22.3%) to have gone to work under the influence (Figure 5).
In 2022 in LAC, among those who had ever used cannabis, males (35.3%) were more likely to have gone to work/school under the influence of cannabis than female s (20.4%) (Figure 6).
In 2022 in LAC, among cannabis ever users, American Indian/Alaska Natives (AIAN 47.1%) had the highest rate of going to work/school under the influence of cannabis, followed by White (29.4%), Latino (28.8%), Black (28.1%) (Figure 7).
Marijuana Use and Public Perceptions in Los Angeles County: Findings from the 2022 Community Needs Assessment (CNA). Health Outcomes and Data Analytics, Substance Abuse Prevention and Control, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, April 2024. Retrieved from http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/sapc/MDU/SpecialReport/Marijuana/MarijuanaUsePublicPerceptions.pdf on 4/9/2024.