Oates 1

Inmates and Marijuana Usage

Jordan Oates
CRIM 250W 002
Christina Wolfe
April 20, 2012
Oates 2

Inmates and Marijuana Usage

Abstract
This study was conducted to analyze the relationship between inmates and marijuana use,
specifically the attributes of race, gender, and age in relation to marijuana use. The data used in
this analysis was taken from the Survey of Inmates in Local Jails (SILJ), in which a sample of
6,982 adult and juvenile prisoners was interviewed on a wide range of topics, including
demographic attributes and drug use. The independent variables used in this analysis were 1) the
sex of respondent, 2) the race of respondent, and 3) the age of respondent, controlling for sex.
The dependent variable was whether the respondent had ever used marijuana. The results of the
analysis were all statistically significant; however only one of the three hypotheses made was
supported. Men were found to use marijuana more than women, and non-Hispanic white
individuals used marijuana more frequently than minorities. With gender controlled, younger
respondents used marijuana at a greater rate than older respondents. An understanding of
marijuana use may help prevent criminal activity.
Keywords: Marijuana usage, sex differences, race differences, age differences.




Oates 3





Introduction
Marijuana is prominent in both United States culture and society. Marijuana use is
thought to at least be partially related to many delinquent and criminal acts committed by
individuals. When examining ones marijuana use, an individuals race, gender, and age have to
be considered. Studying the role of race, gender, age, and marijuana use has social implications
such as employment and hiring practices, police and legal discrimination, and local, federal, and
state drug policies. The current study examines the race, gender, and age of criminal respondents
and whether those variables affect the usage of marijuana by criminals. This study may help
identify risk factors in marijuana use, and subsequently criminal behavior.
Literature Review
There is evidence that women are less likely to use marijuana than men. A survey of
over 20,000 students in middle and high school was conducted at three progressing points in
their lives. (Questions asked about social behaviors, their private lives, employment and marital
status etc., along with alcohol and drug use.) Ragan and Beaver (2010) found that besides
socialization factors such as low maternal involvement and a high number of delinquent peers,
men were more likely than women to be chronic users of marijuana. The relationship between
Oates 4

the variables of a persons gender and marijuana use is an area that I am examining in my
research.
Marianne B. M. van den Bree and Wallace B. Pickworth also examined the relationship
between gender and marijuana use. Their study (2005) examined the risk factors that lead to
adolescents and teenagers being addicted to marijuana. Over 16,000 students aged 11 to 21 were
interviews in two waves. Van den Bree and Pickworth (2005) found that most respondents were
not marijuana users, but men were more likely to use marijuana than women. These findings
influenced the hypothesis relating to gender and marijuana use.
Race and marijuana use was studied by Amanda Geller and Jeffrey Fagan. Their study
(2010) dealt with the disparity between different races being arrested for marijuana offenses.
Data was taken from the New York Police Department from a form called the UF-250. Any
officer that made a stop had to write down information regarding the stop, including a persons
race, items of interest found during the stop, and any charges resulting from the stop. A total of
2.2 million stops were recorded from the years 2004-2008. Geller and Fagan (2010) found that
not only most stops in which marijuana were found to have occurred disproportionately in
neighborhoods that are predominantly made up of minorities, but also Blacks were the only race
represented disproportionately in stops and arrests compared to their percentage of the overall
population. This study involves one of my independent variables, race of an individual, and its
effect on my dependent variable, marijuana use of an individual. This study was integral to the
formation of the hypothesis between race and marijuana use
Black individuals marijuana habits were also studied by Rajeev Ramchand, Rosalie
Liccardo Pacula, and Martin Y Iguchi. Over 2000 individuals aged twelve and older who had
Oates 5

used marijuana in the past 12 months were interviewed. The study (2006) concluded that
minorities were more likely than Whites to engage in risky marijuana purchasing behavior, and
that men were also more likely than women to engage in risky purchasing behavior. The study
of gender and sex and the subsequent marijuana use by individuals is conducted in my own
research. This study was also an important source of information in regards to forming the
hypothesis between race and marijuana use in this study.
The use of marijuana may be explained by a persons mental or psychological state.
Judith S. Brook, David W. Brook, Orlando Arencibia-Mireles, Linda Richter, and Martin
Whiteman examined this issue. Over 3000 adolescents of differing races and ethnicities from
various communities in the United States and Colombia were interviewed at multiple times about
their personalities, attitudes, and marijuana use. The study (2001) concluded that risk factors in
personality and behavior both correlate highly to increased marijuana usage. Negative parental
factors and having peers who used marijuana greatly increased the chance a person using
marijuana, and prior drug and alcohol use was also a huge factor in the usage of marijuana. The
risk factors found to increase marijuana use, such as lack of parental identification for example,
statistically occur in individuals with poor socio-economic status, which are most often minority
individuals in the US, which is an attribute I examine in my study.
My first hypothesis states that men are more likely than women to have used marijuana.
This hypothesis is supported by Ragan and Beavers (2010), van den Bree and Pickworths
(2005), and Ramchand, Liccardo Pacula, and Iguchis (2006) studies which all found that men
were more likely than women to have used marijuana. My second hypothesis states that non-
Hispanic whites are less likely than other races to have used marijuana. This hypothesis is
supported by Geller and Fagans (2010), Ramchand, Pacula, and Iguchis (2006), and Brook and
Oates 6

colleagues (2001) studies which all found that minorities were more likely to have used
marijuana than non-Hispanic whites. My third hypothesis states that controlling for gender,
younger respondents are less likely to have used marijuana than older respondents. None of my
studies explicitly state this; however I think it is acceptable to assume this hypothesis will be
proven true. This is because the sample being used in my study is composed entirely of
prisoners. A prisoner who is older than another prisoner is more likely to have committed more
delinquent behavior, solely because they have been alive longer to commit more acts.
Methods
The Survey of Inmates in Local Jails (SILJ) was a cross-sectional survey conducted in
2002 by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The survey consisted of two
stages, in which the first stage involved the choosing of jails, while the second involved the
choosing of inmates to be interviewed. A sample of 6,982 was taken from a total of 596,548
adult prisoners and 9,449 juvenile prisoners were interviewed on a variety of topics between
January 1
st
through April 31
st
, 2002. Interviews were conducted that lasted approximately an
hour long and were assisted with the usage of computers. The universe for the survey was a total
of 3,365 jails which were also used in the SILJ conducted in 1999. The overall response rate was
84.1%.
The study is conducted every 5 to 6 years to gather various statistics of those held
awaiting trial and already convicted individuals. Questions asked on the survey include current
offenses, sentences and time served; criminal histories; jail activities, conditions and programs;
prior drug and alcohol use and treatment; medical and mental health conditions; and health care
services provided while in jail (U.S. Dept. of Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2006:5).
Oates 7

The respondents can be categorized using a variety of categories, such as education level,
pre-arrest personal income, employment month before admission, and service in the U.S. armed
forces. During the conduction of this study, 13.0% had an 8
th
grade or less education level,
32.5% had some high school, 41.3% had a high school diploma or GED, 10.4% had some
college, and 2.8% were a college graduate. 11.9% of respondents income was less than 300
dollars before their arrest, 15.7% was between 300 and 599 dollars, 13.8% was between 600 and
999 dollars, 22.6% was between 1,000 and 1,999 dollars, 14.7% had an income of 2000 dollars
or more, and 21.2% had no income. 52.4% of respondents were employed fulltime before going
to jail, 11.6% were employed part-time, 2.5% had occasional employment, 16.7% were looking
for employment, and 16.8% were not looking for employment. 7.4% of inmates served in the
U.S. armed forces, and 92.6% did not serve.
My research papers focus is on marijuana use. This was my sole dependent variable
used in my research paper. The survey asked respondents: Have you ever used marijuana?;
74.6% of respondents reported that they had used marijuana, and 25.4% said that they did not.
My first hypothesis is that men are more likely than women to have used marijuana. My
independent variable is the sex of prisoner. The survey asked What is your sex?, and 71.5% of
respondents were male; 28.5% were female. My second hypothesis is that non-Hispanic whites
are less likely than other races to have used marijuana. My independent variable is collapsed
race categories, and the survey asked What is your race?, which 36.6% of respondents stated
that they were white non-Hispanic, 39.8% were black non-Hispanic, 17.9% Hispanic, and 5.7% a
different race than what the choices were. My third hypothesis is that controlling for gender,
younger respondents are less likely than older respondents to have used marijuana. The
independent variable is age collapsed in 5 categories. The survey asked What is your age?,
Oates 8

and 31.8% of respondents replied that they were twenty-four or younger. The percentage of
respondents between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-four was 30.6%, and 26.2% were
between the ages of thirty-five and forty-four. The percentage of respondents between the ages
of 45 and 54 was 9.6%, and 1.8% were fifty-five or older. My control variable for this
hypothesis is the sex of prisoner, which was the independent variable for my first hypothesis.
I had to recode my race variable before I could analyze my hypotheses, because of the
multitude of responses, particularly the other response. I recoded the categories to only consist
of prisoners who make up the majority in America, white non-Hispanic (36.6%) and the
prisoners who make up the minority races in America (63.4%). I also had to recode my age
variable. I recoded the age categories to just two categories: those under thirty-five (62.4%),
and respondents thirty-five or older (37.6%).
Findings
Table 1 shows the relationship between the sex of respondent and if the respondent has
ever used marijuana. Findings show that a greater percentage of men (76.8%) than women
(69.0%) reported that they had used marijuana. This relationship is also statistically significant
at the .001 level.
The relationship between a respondents race and if the respondent has ever used
marijuana is shown in Table 2. White, non-Hispanic respondents (labeled as 1 on Table 2)
have used marijuana at a greater rate (81.5%) than black non-Hispanic, Hispanic, and other
respondents (recoded and labeled as 2 on Table 2) (70.6%); as indicated in the findings on
Table 2. The relationship is also statistically significant at the .001 level.
Oates 9

Table 3 shows the relationship between the age of the respondent and whether the
respondent has ever used marijuana, controlling for the sex of the respondent. Findings show
that overall, respondents aged twenty-four or younger and aged twenty-five through thirty-four
(recoded as Under 35 on Table 3) reported having used marijuana at a greater rate (80.3%)
than respondents aged thirty-five through forty-four, aged forty-five through fifty-four, and aged
fifty-five or older (recoded as 35 and older on Table 3) (71.9%). For male respondents, 80.4%
of younger respondents have used marijuana compared to 74.8% of older respondents.
Regardless of age, female respondents reported having used marijuana compared to male
respondents. The relationship between marijuana use and age, controlling for sex, is statistically
significant at the .001 level. For female respondents, 79.9% of respondents younger than thirty-
five reported having used marijuana, compared to 65.9% of the respondents aged thirty-five or
over. This relationship is also significant at the .001 level.
Discussion and Conclusion
This study focused on research regarding three hypotheses. The first hypothesis is that
men are more likely than women to have used marijuana. The hypothesis was supported with
statistical significance at the .001 level. It was found that 76.8% of men used marijuana, while
69.0% of women had used marijuana. Research and surveys have shown that men are more
likely than women to engage in criminal and delinquent behavior. The usage of drugs, including
marijuana, is considered a delinquent behavior. This suggests that men are more likely than
women to use marijuana. The studies by Ragan and Beaver (2009) and van den Bree and
Pickworth (2005) both involved gender and marijuana use. Both of the studies also examined
risk factors that help explain why men are more likely to use marijuana.
Oates 10

The second hypothesis is that non-Hispanic white males are less likely than other races to
have used marijuana. Although the finding was significant at the .001 level, the hypothesis was
not supported. White, non-Hispanic respondents who had used marijuana made up 81.5% of all
respondents of the same race, compared to 70.6% of respondents of a different race. Although
most research suggests that minorities (individuals who are not non-Hispanic white) are arrested
on drug charges much more often than the racial majority, the hypothesis is dealing with the
usage of marijuana, not the act of being arrested on marijuana-related charges. One of the
possible answers to the race survey was other, which would include non-Hispanic individuals
who are neither white nor black. This group made up 5.7% of all respondents and was recoded
into the minority category during analysis, and would include Asian Americans, who research
has shown are the least likely to engage in criminal activity. The study by Ramchand, Pacula
and Iguchi (2006) found that black individuals engaged in the most risky marijuana purchasing
behavior. The lack of this study examining other races may be a reason why the results found in
this study are inconsistent with the analysis of the second hypothesis.
The third hypothesis is that controlling for sex, younger respondents are less likely to use
marijuana than older respondents. The findings were statistically significant at the .001 level,
however the hypothesis was not supported. For male respondents, 80.4% of younger
respondents (respondents under the age of thirty-five) reported having used marijuana, compared
to 74.8% of older respondents (respondents thirty-five and older). Female respondents under
thirty-five reported using marijuana 79.9% of the time, compared to 65.9% of older respondents.
Overall, 80.3% of younger respondents reported using marijuana, compared to 71.9% of older
respondents. Young individuals (adolescent and teen-aged) commit more criminal acts than any
other age group. The adolescent and teen-aged years are also when many individuals experiment
Oates 11

with drugs and alcohol. The study by Brook and colleagues (2001) found that risk factors such
as low parental involvement and peers having used marijuana, which both occur during the
adolescent period, increased the chances of an individual using marijuana.
Research on who uses marijuana and the factors that lead to marijuana can lead to
policies that help prevent criminal and delinquent behavior, particularly dealing with the at-risk
groups found in the study. These at risk groups are males, non-Hispanic whites, and young
individuals. A strength of the data set was the sheer volume and scope of the questions asked
and answers given in the survey. Unfortunately, one of its weaknesses is that many survey
questions have a large number of respondents next to the missing category. Many respondents
did not answer questions they felt uncomfortable with. If I were to start my research and survey
over again, I would find sources that tie more closely into my hypotheses. I would like to
examine if the stereotype of marijuana being a gateway drug is true to help identify if the risk
factors that lead to marijuana use also lead to worse drug use and criminal activity down the road
for individuals.
This study was on the usage of marijuana by criminals currently in jail when the survey
was given, in relation to the respondents sex, race, and age. The findings regarding marijuana
and the factors that lead to the usage of the drug may inspire efforts by law enforcement and
other individuals to prevent delinquent behavior and educate the risks and effects of drug use.
An understanding of what leads an individual to engage in criminal behavior leads to more
effective prevention of criminal activity.


Oates 12


References

Brook, Judith S., David W. Brook, Orlando Arencibia-Mireles, Linda Richter, and
Martin Whiteman. 2001. Risk Factors for Adolescent Marijuana Use Across
Cultures and Across Time. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 162(3): 357-374.
Geller, Amanda and Jeffrey Fagan. 2010. Pot as Pretext: Marijuana, Race, and the
New Disorder in New York City Street Policing. Journal of Empirical Legal
Studies, 7(4): 591-633.
Ragan, Daniel T., and Kevin M. Beaver. 2009. Chronic Offenders: A Life-Course
Analysis of Marijuana Users. Youth Society, 42(2): 174-198.
Ramchand, Rajeev, Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, and Martin Y Iguchi. 2006. Racial
differences in marijuana-users risk of arrest in the United States. Drug and
Alcohol Dependence, 84(3): 264-272.
Van den Bree, Marianne B. M. and Wallace B. Pickworth. 2005. Risk Factors
Predicting Changes in Marijuana Involvement in Teenagers. Archives of
General Psychiatry, 62, 311-319.






Oates 13

Table 1. Cross Tabulation of Sex of Respondent and
Whether Respondent Has Used Marijuana

Sex


Male Female Total
Used Yes 3774 1350 5124
Marijuana

76.8% 69.0% 74.6%

No 1141 606 1747

23.2% 31.0% 25.4%

4915 1956 6871
Total

100.0% 100.0% 100.0%















Oates 14

Table 2. Cross Tabulation of Race of Respondent and
Whether Respondent Has Used Marijuana

Race


1 2 Total
Used Yes 2045 3064 5109
Marijuana

81.5% 70.6% 74.6%

No 464 1276 1740

18.5% 29.4% 25.4%

2509 4340 6849
Total

100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
















Oates 15

Table 3. Cross Tabulation of Age of Respondent and
Whether Respondent Has Used Marijuana, Controlling for
Age.

Age

Sex

Under 35
35 and
Older Total
Male Used Yes 1409 2365 3774

Marijuana

80.4% 74.8% 76.8%

No 343 798 1141

19.6% 25.2% 23.2%

1752 3163 4915

Total

100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Female Used Yes

349

1,001

1,350

Marijuana

79.9% 65.9% 69.0%

No 88 518 606

20.1% 34.1% 31.0%

437 1519 1956

Total

100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Total Used Yes

1,758

3,366

5,124

Marijuana

80.3% 71.9% 74.6%

No 431 1316 1747

19.7% 28.1% 25.4%

2189 4682 6871

Total

100.0% 100.0% 100.0%