College students who saw marijuana as risky were less likely to use it | Research

The takeaway

Among 599 college students, higher perceived risk of harm was associated with lower likelihood of marijuana use, with the association being strongest among younger students.

College health professionals, prevention program designers, and researchers studying substance use in young adults.

Younger students showed the strongest link between perceived risk and marijuana use

What the researchers found

Students who perceived high risk of harm from marijuana smoking were significantly less likely to report using it. Age moderated this relationship: younger students showed a stronger link between perceived risk and actual marijuana use than older students. The same pattern held for binge drinking and cigarette smoking.

Why it matters

Perceived risk is one of the strongest predictors of substance use initiation. The finding that younger students show the tightest link between risk perception and marijuana use suggests that early college years may be a critical window for prevention messaging.

The numbers in context

599 students aged 19-28. Age moderated the perceived risk-marijuana use relationship, with younger participants showing a stronger association. High perceived risk was associated with lower engagement in all three substance use behaviors.

How the study worked

Cross-sectional study of 599 college students (ages 19-28) at a large Midwestern university, recruited October 2015 to December 2017. Hurdle regression tested associations between perceived risk and self-reported substance use, with demographic characteristics tested as moderators.

What this study cannot tell us

Single university sample limits generalizability. Cross-sectional design. Self-reported substance use. Cannot determine whether perceived risk drives behavior or whether use changes perception.

How to read the evidence

Moderate sample from a single university. Findings are consistent with broader literature on perceived risk and substance use.

When this study was published

2021 publication with data from 2015-2017.

The bigger picture

As cannabis legalization expands and media coverage normalizes use, perceived risk among college students is declining nationally. This study suggests that declining risk perception may directly translate to increased use, particularly among younger students who appear most responsive to risk framing.

Questions still open

What shapes risk perception among younger vs. older college students? Would targeted risk communication in early college years reduce marijuana initiation? How has the legalization era shifted these associations?

Common questions

Did perceived risk matter for all substances or just marijuana?

All three. High perceived risk was associated with lower engagement in binge drinking, cigarette smoking, and marijuana use, though the age moderation effect was specific to marijuana.

Why did age matter for the risk-marijuana connection?

Younger college students showed a tighter link between perceiving marijuana as risky and avoiding use. The authors suggest this may reflect younger students being more responsive to risk messaging or having less established use patterns.

Read the original research

Association between perceived risk of harm and self-reported binge drinking, cigarette smoking, and marijuana smoking in young adults.

Journal of American college health : J of ACH, 69(4), 345-352

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Hanauer, Matthew; Walker, Madison R; Machledt, Kendall; Ragatz, Melissa; Macy, Jonathan T. (2021). Association between perceived risk of harm and self-reported binge drinking, cigarette smoking, and marijuana smoking in young adults.. Journal of American college health : J of ACH, 69(4), 345-352. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2019.1676757