Comfort Olorunsaiye, Ph.D., assistant professor and undergraduate program director of Public Health at Arcadia University, published an article in BMC Public Health. The article, titled “Cannabis use and its psychosocial correlates among school-going adolescents in Sierra Leone”, was co-authored with Augustus Osborne, Peter Bai James, Camilla Bangura, and Aiah Lebbie. 

Sierra Leonean adolescents are increasingly engaged in risky activities, including cannabis use, which can lead to other concerning behaviors, the authors state. The study aimed to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of cannabis use among school-age adolescents. 

The study found that 5.1% of school-going adolescents used cannabis. Cannabis use was associated with attempted suicide, use of amphetamine, and sexual risk behaviors. The study concluded that though the minority of students use cannabis, the number is not trivial. 

Since people who use cannabis tend to report other adverse outcomes, the study concludes that there is a clear need for school-based intervention programs that focus on preventing cannabis use and addressing the risk factors associated with its use.