A twin study on sensation seeking, risk taking behavior and marijuana use

The contribution of genetic and environmental factors to the covariation between risk-taking and marijuana use was assessed in adolescent twins. Genetic factors were found to significantly influence some traits (i.e. risk-taking attitude), while familial environmental factors were important for others (i.e. sexual promiscuity). For marijuana use, genetic and environmental factors were equally important; however, the association between risk taking and marijuana use may not be comparable for different behaviors. Results suggest that different etiological factors may underlie various risk taking traits which is relevant to both prevention efforts and attempts to identify genes involved in risk taking and shared genetic influences with substance use.