Down With the Patriarchy or up in Smoke? Gender Differences in Marijuana Use

Criminologists have established a link between masculine ideologies and criminal behavior and have often discussed the influence that masculinity has on the gender differences in crime. However, little quantitative research has explored how attitudes towards patriarchal norms influence marijuana use, particularly among juveniles. This research begins to explore that gap in the literature and attempts to open further paths for examining how patriarchal norms influence gender differences in marijuana use. To do so, we examine high school seniors’ marijuana use across 40 years of data from Monitoring the Future ( N = 40,113). Our findings show that patriarchal norm acceptance increases the likelihood of smoking marijuana for both men and women, though significantly more so for men. Results from this research provide support for the role of patriarchal norms in young men’s and women’s involvement in illicit crime.