The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors that affect the use of marijuana by juveniles and how outside influences such as peer pressure, race, parental influence, and prevention programs such as the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) contribute to the use of marijuana by juveniles. All of the variables used in this study came from the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) data collected by Esbensen and Osgood (1999). The analysis indicated that juveniles are most influenced by their peers such as friends, that African American juveniles would be less likely than Whites and Hispanics to become regular users of marijuana, that juveniles living with both parents would be less likely to use marijuana compared to those with alternative living conditions, and that the programs such as the D.A.R.E. program would have little long-term effect on marijuana usage by juveniles.

The purpose of this study was to analyze gender, race, substance abuse programs such as Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.), parents, and peers and their ability to influence or predict adolescents and their decisions to use marijuana. All of the variables used for this study came from secondhand data collected by Esbensen and Osgood (1999), Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.). The analysis revealed that males are more likely to have ever used marijuana, that mixed race adolescents have a higher rate than other races to have ever used marijuana, that when adolescents complete the substance abuse program, D.A.R.E. have a lower rate than those who did not complete the program, adolescents are less likely to have ever used marijuana when their parents know where they are, and adolescents are more likely to have ever used marijuana when they have friends who use marijuana.