Black and Hispanic individuals showed especially notable increases in the prevalence of marijuana use and marijuana use disorders, trends consistent with other studies showing that adolescent marijuana use is now more prevalent in black than white individuals.68–70 Reasons for this are important to identify. Part of the explanation may lie in the widening income gap between white and black and Hispanic individuals during71 and after72 the 2008 recession, possibly leading to increased minority stress and demoralization and substance use as a coping mechanism.73–75 Increasing economic disparity of black and Hispanic individuals relative to white individuals may also have exacerbated neighborhood environmental factors (neighborhood disorder, violence, and visible drug sales) that increase the risk for adolescent marijuana use75 and may also apply to adults. Compared with white individuals, minorities may also hold different attitudes toward marijuana (eg, viewing marijuana positively as a “natural” product76) also warranting investigation.
