Background  The evidence is mixed regarding how socioeconomic status (SES) it is related to cannabis use among adolescents. This study assessed the association between parental SES, measured as the highest level of completed education, and past 12 month cannabis use in older adolescents.

Method  Self-reported survey data from the first and second wave of a nationwide cohort study (Futura01) were used (n = 3328). Register information on parental education was linked to the survey data. Two measures of cannabis use were considered: any use during the past 12 months, and use 10 + times during the past 12 months. Control variables included demographics, family and school variables, conduct and emotional problems, and cannabis use at baseline. Multilevel Poisson regression was used to assess the associations.

Results  Adolescents having parents with low SES had a lower risk for any cannabis use during the past 12 months, ranging from RR = 0.71 (95% CI = 0.49–1.01) in the unadjusted model to RR = 0.61 (95% CI = 0.42–0.87) in the most adjusted model compared to adolescents with parents having high SES. Compared to those with parents with high SES, those with parents with intermediate SES had lower risk for any cannabis use past 12 months, with RRs ranging from 0.79 (95% CI = 0.59–1.07) in the unadjusted model to RR = 0.71 (95% CI = 0.53–0.95) in the fully adjusted model. For use 10 + times, non-significant associations were observed.

Conclusion  Adolescents with parents with lower SES had a lower risk of any past 12 months cannabis use. For more frequent use, no statistically significant associations were observed.