Cannabis use among college students continues to pose a public health challenge, particularly as its prevalence increases due to declining perceptions of risk and the expanding legalization of cannabis. Students who violate university drug policies are at heightened risk for more frequent use and related negative outcomes, such as substance use disorders (SUDs) or cannabis use disorder (CUD), compared to their peers. However, there are few evidence-based interventions specifically designed to address cannabis use among this high-risk group. This study aims to investigate the risk factors and reasons for cannabis use among policy violators and examine how these factors influence daily cannabis consumption.
This study employed a cross-sectional survey design and was conducted at a large U.S. public university with an enrollment of over 30,000 students. The survey collected data on past-month cannabis use, reasons for use, peer norms, and demographic characteristics. A total of 99 college students, who were referred to a mandated drug education course for violating campus cannabis policies, participated in the study. The researchers utilized descriptive statistics to analyze cannabis use behaviors within the sample and applied ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to examine the relationship between various risk factors—such as perceived norms, perceived risk, and past-month alcohol use—and daily cannabis consumption.
The study found significant associations between daily cannabis consumption and three critical factors among students who violated their university’s zero-tolerance drug policy. First, the higher the frequency of cannabis use, the greater the daily consumption tended to be. On average, students used cannabis on 7.4 days in the past 30 days, and as the frequency increased, so did the daily quantity consumed (β = .33, p = .002). Second, students who perceived lower risks associated with regular cannabis use tended to consume more cannabis per day. Those with lower risk perceptions consumed larger amounts (β = -.21). Third, students from racial/ethnic minority groups were found to have higher daily cannabis consumption (β = .19, p = .05). The primary reasons for cannabis use were to relax (75.8%), to feel good (62.6%), and to socialize with friends (60.6%), with students perceiving that their peers frequently used cannabis.
Takeaway: Targeted, evidence-based interventions are needed to address high-risk cannabis use among students who violate university drug policies by focusing on reducing use frequency, correcting risk perceptions, and addressing social motivations for use.