As cannabis usage continue to climb in the United States, researchers seek to uncover the motivations and possible mediating factors of use. While only relatively small amounts of information exist concerning the long-term physiological and psychological effects of cannabis consumption, the data is steadily developing. Among these known effects are potential psychological illness precipitations and exacerbations, especially in individuals predisposed to various forms of depression and schizophrenia. The young adult demographic continues to lead all other age groups in the United States regarding total cannabis consumption, with college students not being exempt from this delineation. This study analyzes potential gender differences in how college students use cannabis.
The study’s sample was composed of 464 students recruited from classroom environments at a large public university in a cannabis-legal state from 2018-2019 (N=464, 75% female). The participants completed surveys which assessed the following measures: general demographics, cannabis health knowledge, cannabis legal knowledge, cannabis knowledge confidence, perceived risk of cannabis use, peer disapproval, and personal cannabis use rates. The majority of these measures used Likert Scales, and knowledge-based questions were pulled from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine in addition to the n=National Conference of State Legislatures. The data was analyzed using analysis of covariance tests (ANCOVA) and linear regression modelling.
Results of the analysis found female students reported lower overall cannabis usage rates and higher perceived risk scores than their male counterparts (p=0.013 and p=0.009, respectively). Males scored higher in cannabis knowledge confidence, but lower in cannabis health knowledge (p<0.001 for both). No significant differences were found between females and males regarding cannabis legal knowledge and peer disapproval. Cannabis consumption in female students was found to be predicted by decreased cannabis health knowledge, increased knowledge confidence, decreased perceived risk and decreased peer disapproval (p<0.01 for all), while consumption in males was predicted by only increased knowledge confidence and decreased perceived risk (p<0.01 for both).
Takeaway: several variables concerning cannabis knowledge, risk, and peer disapproval may modulate and predict cannabis consumption in college students. Differences across genders with respect to the aforementioned variables may have additional predictive value.