How cannabis legalization affected teens, young adults, and parents in Washington State over a decade
Official title: Cannabis Legalization a Decade Later: A Longitudinal Study of Teens, Young Adults, and Parents in Washington State
Funded at University of Washington · NIH-11310832 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are tracking cannabis, alcohol, and nicotine use and related psychosocial effects over the first decade after legalization among Washington State parents and their children.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Washington NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $484,103 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA056371-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11310832 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are Washington State families already enrolled in the SSDP-TIP—parents from the original cohort, their oldest biological child (now a teen or young adult), and a second caregiver when available.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not part of the SSDP-TIP families, live outside Washington State, or need immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to get direct benefits from joining this research.
What this research studies
You would join families already followed by the Seattle Social Development Project–Intergenerational Project, where a parent from a long-running cohort, their oldest child, and often a second caregiver have been surveyed over time. Researchers collect regular interviews and questionnaires about cannabis, alcohol, and nicotine use, patterns of co-use, and mental and social well-being across multiple waves from before and after legalization. This project follows about 426 families with most living in Washington State and compares changes across the first ten years after recreational cannabis became legal. The team links changes in substance use to age, family context, and psychosocial outcomes to inform prevention and policy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could guide policies and prevention programs to reduce teen substance use and support responsible adult use.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier short-term and population-level studies have shown mixed results after legalization, but few long-term, family-based longitudinal datasets exist, so this approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Washington
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bailey, Jennifer a — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: Bailey, Jennifer a
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.