Among college students, cannabis use is associated with both short-term and long-term consequences. Short-term consequences may include poor academic performance and interpersonal conflicts while long-term risks may be increased antisocial behavior and mental health conditions. Additionally, solitary cannabis use has been associated with greater risk of cannabis-related negative consequences, higher rates of psychosis, and cannabis dependence. It has been predicted that around 23-24% of cannabis use episodes among college students occur in solitude. College students may use cannabis while alone as a method of reducing psychological tension such as depression, anxiety, or internal responses to external stressors. This study examines the prevalence, psychosocial risk factors, and consequences of solitary cannabis use among college students since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study’s sample consisted of 168 college students from a private northeastern university who indicated lifetime cannabis use. Students were asked to report past-year frequency of cannabis use, solitary cannabis use, social cannabis use, and changes un cannabis use frequency and quantity since the start of the pandemic. Cannabis use consequences were assessed using the Brief Marijuana Consequences Questionnaire. Participants were asked about age of cannabis use onset and regular cannabis use onset. Lastly, questionaries were used to assess depression symptoms, social anxiety symptoms, loneliness, interpersonal sensitivity, and pandemic-related stress. Data was analyzed using regression models.
Results of the data analysis showed 77% of participants reported cannabis use during the past year and 42% indicated solitary cannabis use in the past year. Male sex, greater interpersonal sensitivity, and greater pandemic-related stress were associated with increased rates of at-least-monthly solitary cannabis use. Past-year solitary users were more likely to report increases in both frequency and quantity of cannabis use since the start of the pandemic. In addition, solitary cannabis users had greater rates of depressive symptoms, pandemic stress, and past-60 day cannabis consequences. Social users had a lower risk of past-60-day cannabis consequences but did not differ in odds of any cannabis consequence.
Takeaway: Among college students, solitary cannabis use may be associated with greater cannabis consequences and affective risk factors (interpersonal sensitivity and pandemic stress).