Nearly 8% of college students had tried synthetic cannabinoids, driven by legality and drug testing concerns
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.
Quick Facts
What This Study 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.
Key Numbers
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 They Did This
Online survey of 1,140 undergraduates assessing synthetic cannabinoid use prevalence, consequences, reasons for use, and associations with natural cannabis use.
Why This Research 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 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.
What This Study Doesn't 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.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would campus cannabis legalization reduce synthetic cannabinoid use?
- ?Do drug testing policies paradoxically push students toward more dangerous substances?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 7.6x odds if natural cannabis user
- Evidence Grade:
- Moderate: large single-site survey with clear findings, though cross-sectional and self-reported.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2019.
- Original Title:
- Synthetic cannabinoid use among college students.
- Published In:
- Addictive behaviors, 93, 219-224 (2019)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-02166
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked 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 More on RethinkTHC
- THC-purity-potency-label-meaning
- dab-concentrate-addiction-withdrawal
- delta-8-addiction-withdrawal
- edible-addiction-withdrawal-different
- edibles-psychosis-emergency-room
- healthiest-way-to-consume-cannabis
- how-cannabis-products-made-concentrates-edibles
- laced-weed-fentanyl-contaminated-vape
- legal-weed-vs-street-weed-quality-safety
- quitting-dabs-withdrawal
- quitting-edibles-withdrawal
- sativa-vs-indica-difference-myth
- weed-potency-withdrawal
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02166APA
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
MLA
Mathews, Eva M, et al. "Synthetic cannabinoid use among college students.." Addictive behaviors, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.02.009
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Synthetic cannabinoid use among college students." RTHC-02166. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/mathews-2019-synthetic-cannabinoid-use-among
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.