Abstract
BACKGROUND: Factors contributing to cannabis initiation among Hispanic young adults remain understudied. METHODS: We examined the independent and interactive roles of depressive symptoms, family cohesion, and family conflict on cannabis initiation one year later among 616 18-29-year-old cannabis-naïve Mexican American college students in Texas. RESULTS: Mixed-effects logistic regressions indicated that greater depressive symptoms predicted cannabis initiation one year later. Neither family cohesion nor family conflict moderated the depressive symptoms-cannabis initiation association. CONCLUSION: Mexican American young adults experiencing depressive symptoms may initiate cannabis use to cope with emotional distress. Additional research should examine the factors that drive cannabis initiation in this population.