Parental practices and communication styles regarding cannabis : challenges in view of cannabis decriminalization in Malta

Abstract

In December 2021, Malta’s Responsible Use of Cannabis Act was signed, allowing small amounts of cultivation and possession for personal use. This study aimed to identify what the current parental views, communication styles, practices, and challenges are regarding cannabis use in adolescents in Malta and if they are changing in light of the new cannabis legislation. The study utilized a mixed methods explanatory sequential design. First, a survey was completed by 100 parents of Year 11 students from Government, Independent, and Church schools. Next, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven female participants who volunteered their participation via the survey. The findings suggest that parents had generally unfavorable views concerning adolescent cannabis use and the new cannabis legislation. Parents appeared to take an authoritative approach to cannabis use and communicated the risks associated with using cannabis. Parents were open to discussing cannabis with their adolescent children, and the change in legislation did not affect their willingness to communicate about it. Parents were divided in their willingness to be honest about past use. The biggest challenge the participants faced was the normalization of cannabis use following the new legislation and how this would affect their adolescent children. The results of the study have important implications regarding the importance for policymakers to clearly communicate details of the new cannabis law as well as the effects of the new law on the perceptions, attitudes, and behavior of the younger generation over time, particularly underage cannabis use.