Impulsivity Links Mental Health Problems to Risky Cannabis Use in Young Adults

In a sample of 2,762 college students tracked over one year, anxiety at the midpoint predicted hazardous cannabis use at the final assessment. The reverse also held: hazardous cannabis use predicted later stress. Impulsivity traits, particularly negative and positive urgency, strengthened the link between emotional distress and problematic use.

Longitudinal survey of college students (ages 18-25) assessed at three time points over one year. Structural equation modeling and semi-parametric mixed-effects models examined cross-lagged relationships between mental health symptoms and hazardous cannabis use, with impulsivity, age, and sex as moderators.

This study maps a specific pathway: emotional distress feeds into problematic cannabis use, and impulsivity accelerates that process. It suggests that interventions targeting emotional regulation and impulsive decision-making could interrupt this cycle in young adults.

The bidirectional relationship between mental health and cannabis misuse creates a feedback loop that standard treatment approaches may miss. Targeting impulsivity as a modifiable risk factor could offer a practical intervention point.

Self-report measures only. College student sample may not generalize to non-college young adults. Cannabis use prevalence dropped sharply at the midpoint, possibly due to seasonal or academic factors.