College Students Misusing Stimulants Were More Likely to Also Use Cannabis
Nonmedical prescription stimulant misuse was associated with 44% higher cannabis use rates among college students.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Nonmedical stimulant misuse: cannabis d=0.444, alcohol d=0.275 vs no use. Medical misuse linked to cannabis (d=0.375) but not alcohol. Results held controlling for impulsivity and mental health.
Key Numbers
1,692 undergraduates. Nonmedical vs no use: cannabis d=0.444. Medical misuse vs no use: cannabis d=0.375. Nonmedical vs appropriate: cannabis d=0.349.
How They Did This
SEM analysis of 1,692 undergraduates comparing four stimulant use groups, controlling for impulsivity and DASS-21.
Why This Research Matters
Understanding stimulant-cannabis co-use helps design campus interventions addressing polysubstance use.
The Bigger Picture
Medical and nonmedical misuse have different profiles, suggesting different intervention approaches.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional. Single university. Self-reported. Predominantly White sample.
Questions This Raises
- ?Why is medical misuse linked to cannabis but not alcohol?
- ?Are students using cannabis to manage stimulant side effects?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Nonmedical stimulant misuse: d=0.444 higher cannabis use
- Evidence Grade:
- Moderate sample with SEM and psychological controls, but cross-sectional.
- Study Age:
- 2026 study
- Original Title:
- Relations between medical and nonmedical prescription stimulant misuse, cannabis use, alcohol use, and related consequences among college students.
- Published In:
- Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors (2026)
- Authors:
- McDonald, Abigail, Corbin, Will
- Database ID:
- RTHC-08476
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
What is medical vs nonmedical stimulant misuse?
Medical: not following your own prescription. Nonmedical: using someone else's prescription.
Why the stronger cannabis link for nonmedical misuse?
Nonmedical misusers may have higher risk-taking and less healthcare engagement.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-08476APA
McDonald, Abigail; Corbin, Will. (2026). Relations between medical and nonmedical prescription stimulant misuse, cannabis use, alcohol use, and related consequences among college students.. Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors. https://doi.org/10.1037/adb0001103
MLA
McDonald, Abigail, et al. "Relations between medical and nonmedical prescription stimulant misuse, cannabis use, alcohol use, and related consequences among college students.." Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1037/adb0001103
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Relations between medical and nonmedical prescription stimul..." RTHC-08476. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/mcdonald-2026-relations-between-medical-and
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.