Cannabis related messages are prevalent on social media and are more likely to focus on the positive aspects of the cannabis use experience than the negative aspects. College students are frequent consumers of social media and may be influenced by messages portrayed on the platforms. For example, viewing cannabis advertisements has been associated with increased intentions and use of cannabis among young adults. However, there has been little research done on the separate effects of pro and anti-cannabis media messages on cannabis use. This study examines the impact of exposure to pro and anti-cannabis social media messages on college students’ intentions to use cannabis and use of cannabis.  

This is article contains two studies, one focused on the impact on cannabis advertisements on cannabis use in teens and the other in college students. This summary will focus on the study conducted on college students. The study’s sample consisted of 966 college students from Washington state. Students were asked to report how often they were exposed to messages on social media relating to the benefits of cannabis use and anti-cannabis messages. Participants were also asked about their beliefs of negative outcomes associated with cannabis use, perceived norms regarding cannabis use, efficacy of refusing cannabis, and intentions to use cannabis. Data was analyzed using descriptive analysis and linear regression analysis.  

Results of the data analysis showed around 80% of participants had seen pro-cannabis messages on social media and around 50-66% had seen anti-cannabis messages. Exposure to pro-cannabis messages was positively correlated with intentions to use cannabis and cannabis use. Viewing pro-cannabis messages was negatively associated with negative outcome beliefs and positively associated with perceived norms, intentions to use, and cannabis use. Exposure to anti-cannabis messages was negatively associated with intentions to use cannabis but was not related to actual cannabis use. Viewing negative cannabis messages was positively associated with negative beliefs and negatively associated with perceived norms. Neither pro- or anti-cannabis content was related to perceived refusal efficacy.  

Takeaway: Among college students, exposure to pro- and anti-cannabis messages on social media may impact intention to use cannabis. 

Willoughby, J.F., Hust, S.J.T., Li, J., Couto, L.. Exposure to Pro and Anti-Cannabis Social Media Messages and Teens’ and College Students’ Intentions to Use Cannabis [published online ahead of print, 2023 Jan 10]. Health Communication. 2023;1-12. doi:10.1080/10410236.2022.2162707