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"High"-School: The Relationship between Early Marijuana Use and Educational Outcomes

Author

Listed:
  • Deborah A. Cobb-Clark

    (Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne; and Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA))

  • Sonja C. Kassenboehmer

    (Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne; and Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA))

  • Trinh Le

    (Department of Economics, The University of Waikato)

  • Duncan McVicar

    (Queen's University Management School, Queen's University, Belfast)

  • Rong Zhang

    (Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne)

Abstract

We use unique survey data linked to nearly a decade of administrative welfare data to examine the relationship between early marijuana use (at age 14 or younger) and young people’s educational outcomes. We find evidence that early marijuana use is related to educational penalties that are compounded by high-intensity use and are larger for young people living in families with a history of welfare receipt. The relationships between marijuana use and both high school completion and achieving a university entrance score appear to stem from selectivity into the use of marijuana. In contrast, early marijuana use is associated with significantly lower university entrance score for those who obtain one and we provide evidence that this effect is unlikely to be driven by selection. Collectively, these findings point to a more nuanced view of the relationship between adolescent marijuana use and educational outcomes than is suggested by the existing literature.

Suggested Citation

  • Deborah A. Cobb-Clark & Sonja C. Kassenboehmer & Trinh Le & Duncan McVicar & Rong Zhang, 2013. ""High"-School: The Relationship between Early Marijuana Use and Educational Outcomes," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2013n38, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    • Handle: RePEc:iae:iaewps:wp2013n38
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    File URL: http://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/downloads/working_paper_series/wp2013n38.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Blog mentions

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    1. Early marijuana use and educational outcomes
      by Economic Logician in Economic Logic on 2014-01-10 21:42:00

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Marijuana; cannabis; educational achievement; educational attainment; socio-economic disadvantage; welfare receipt;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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