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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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