In 2021, the prevalence of cannabis use among those ages 19 – 30 reached new heights when an estimated 42.6% reported cannabis use in the past 12 months and 28.5% reported use in the past 30 days. This is partly due to the vast number of states legalizing recreational use of cannabis. Many studies have found that cannabis use hurts brain development, cognition, memory, and more, in adolescents and young adults. Recent studies have also shown cannabis to have an association with lower GPAs and increased rates of class absences. The study aims to examine the potential moderating role of procrastination in the association between cannabis use and academic performance, assessed via college GPA.
This study consisted of 220 college students between the ages of 18 and 24. All students were registered for Fall 2021 term classes, were US citizens, fluent in English, and were not pregnant. Participants completed Qualtrics online surveys for data collection. Demographics such as age, sex, race/ethnicity, and parents’ education levels were collected. Substance Use History, anxiety, and depression, cannabis use procrastination, and academic and performance were all measured. Data was analyzed by using IBM SPSS Statistical software and the PROCESS macro.
The results of this study showed that there was a correlation between lifetime cannabis use and procrastination on cumulative GPA. More frequent cannabis use was associated with lower GPA and higher levels of procrastination. Procrastination was found to moderate the association between lifetime cannabis use and cumulative college GPA. Students with high levels of procrastination with greater lifetime cannabis use showed lower cumulative GPAs, but not for students with low levels of procrastination. This study’s findings can help develop education intervention and prevention programs.
Takeaway: This study shows that more frequent cannabis use was associated with lower GPA and higher levels of procrastination.