Nearly 8% of college students had tried synthetic cannabinoids, driven by legality and drug testing concerns | Research

The takeaway

Among 1,140 college students, 7.9% had used synthetic cannabinoids, reporting adverse effects like anxiety and tachycardia, with natural cannabis users having 7.6 times higher odds of trying synthetics.

University administrators, drug testing policymakers, student health professionals, and harm reduction advocates.

7.6x odds if natural cannabis user

What the researchers found

7.9% lifetime synthetic cannabinoid use; 16.7% of users considered or visited the ER. Natural cannabis users had OR 7.63 for trying synthetics. 92.2% of synthetic users also used natural cannabis. Common reasons for use: legality, avoiding drug tests, and availability, not enjoyment or perceived safety.

Why it matters

Students are not choosing synthetic cannabinoids because they want them. They are using them to avoid drug tests and legal consequences, a finding with direct implications for drug testing policies.

The numbers in context

1,140 students; 7.9% (n=90) lifetime use; 15.6% regular users; 16.7% considered/went to ER; OR 7.63 for natural cannabis users; 92.2% of synthetic users also used natural cannabis.

How the study worked

Online survey of 1,140 undergraduates assessing synthetic cannabinoid use prevalence, consequences, reasons for use, and associations with natural cannabis use.

What this study cannot tell us

Self-report survey at a single university. Social desirability bias possible. Cross-sectional design cannot establish temporal ordering. Synthetic cannabinoid formulations vary widely.

How to read the evidence

Moderate: large single-site survey with clear findings, though cross-sectional and self-reported.

When this study was published

Published in 2019.

The bigger picture

When students can choose freely, they prefer natural cannabis. Synthetic cannabinoid use appears to be driven almost entirely by external pressures (legality, drug tests, availability), suggesting that reducing those pressures might reduce exposure to these far more dangerous compounds.

Questions still open

Would campus cannabis legalization reduce synthetic cannabinoid use? Do drug testing policies paradoxically push students toward more dangerous substances?

Common questions

Why do college students use synthetic cannabinoids?

The main reasons were legality, not showing up on drug tests, and availability. Students did not report using them for enjoyment or because they thought they were safe.

How dangerous are synthetic cannabinoids?

Users reported anxiety, paranoia, tachycardia, and lightheadedness. 16.7% considered going to or actually visited the emergency room while using them.

Read the original research

Synthetic cannabinoid use among college students.

Addictive behaviors, 93, 219-224

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Mathews, Eva M; Jeffries, Emily; Hsieh, Chenen; Jones, Glenn; Buckner, Julia D. (2019). Synthetic cannabinoid use among college students.. Addictive behaviors, 93, 219-224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.02.009