Early Marijuana Use Linked to 3x Higher Odds of Suicidal Thoughts in Black College Students
African American college students who started marijuana before age 14 were three times as likely to report suicidal ideation.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
19% reported suicidal ideation, 28% reported early onset use. Early onset users were 3.33x more likely to report suicidal ideation (AOR=3.33, 95% CI 1.06-10.44) after controlling for demographics and mental health treatment.
Key Numbers
221 students. 19% suicidal ideation. 28% early onset use. AOR=3.33 (95% CI 1.06-10.44).
How They Did This
Cross-sectional survey of 221 African American HBCU students (70% female, mean age 20.3). Multivariable logistic regression.
Why This Research Matters
Suicide rates among Black youth ages 15-24 rose 47% for males and 59% for females between 2013-2019. Early marijuana use may be a modifiable risk factor.
The Bigger Picture
Research on suicide risk factors in Black youth remains sparse. Early marijuana use may be one modifiable target for prevention.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional. Wide confidence interval. Small sample. Retrospective recall. Single HBCU.
Questions This Raises
- ?Does early use contribute to suicidal thinking, or do shared factors explain both?
- ?Would delaying initiation reduce risk?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 3.33x higher odds of suicidal ideation with early onset use
- Evidence Grade:
- Small cross-sectional study with wide confidence intervals.
- Study Age:
- 2025 study
- Original Title:
- Early onset marijuana use and suicidal ideation among African American college students.
- Published In:
- Journal of ethnicity in substance abuse, 24(2), 518-532 (2025)
- Authors:
- Floyd, Leah J(2)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-06473
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does early marijuana use cause suicidal thoughts?
This study shows an association only. Other factors could explain both early use and suicidal ideation.
Why focus on early onset?
The adolescent brain is still developing, and early substance use may disrupt neurodevelopment.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-06473APA
Floyd, Leah J. (2025). Early onset marijuana use and suicidal ideation among African American college students.. Journal of ethnicity in substance abuse, 24(2), 518-532. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332640.2023.2239741
MLA
Floyd, Leah J. "Early onset marijuana use and suicidal ideation among African American college students.." Journal of ethnicity in substance abuse, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332640.2023.2239741
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Early onset marijuana use and suicidal ideation among Africa..." RTHC-06473. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/floyd-2025-early-onset-marijuana-use
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.