Associations between early childhood adversity and behavioral, substance use, and academic outcomes in childhood through adolescence in a U.S. longitudinal cohort

•Early childhood adversity (ECA) before age 5 increased adolescent substance use.•ECA had indirect effects on early cannabis onset but not on early alcohol onset.•Behavioral problems, but not academic problems, increased alcohol and cannabis use.•ECA had direct effects on high school completion, and indirectly via cannabis use.•Addressing ECA and behavioral problems may reduce adolescent substance use.