After Missouri legalized recreational cannabis, college students reported higher intentions to use and more positive attitudes toward it.
College health administrators, legalization researchers, public health planners
Higher cannabis use intentions found post-legalization among college students
What the researchers found
Following the 2022 legalization of recreational cannabis in Missouri, college students showed increased intentions to use cannabis and more favorable attitudes compared to pre-legalization baseline data.
Why it matters
Young adults on college campuses are a key population for understanding how legalization shifts cannabis use norms and behaviors.
The numbers in context
Post-legalization survey of Missouri college students; specific percentages and sample sizes in full text.
How the study worked
Cross-sectional survey of college students in Missouri assessing cannabis use intentions, attitudes, and behaviors after recreational legalization.
What this study cannot tell us
Cross-sectional design at a single time point post-legalization. Single university sample limits generalizability. Self-reported intentions may not match actual behavior.
How to read the evidence
Single-site cross-sectional survey limits causal claims about legalization effects.
When this study was published
2025 study examining post-2022 legalization effects in Missouri.
The bigger picture
States that legalize recreational cannabis often see shifts in social norms, particularly among young adults. Whether attitude changes translate to increased problematic use remains an open question.
Questions still open
- Do more positive attitudes lead to increased use rates over time? How do campus policies moderate the effect of state legalization?
Common questions
Does legalization make college students more likely to use cannabis?
How quickly do attitudes shift after legalization?
Read the original research
Missouri College Students' Intentions Towards Initiating or Changing Cannabis Use in a Shifting Legal Landscape.
Cannabis (Albuquerque, N.M.), 8(2), 33-50
Citation
McNamara, Ian A; Parnes, Jamie E; Stetsiv, Khrystyna; Nance, Melissa; Sauer, Jake; Greenwood, Kayleigh; Masters, Joan P; Carpenter, Ryan W. (2025). Missouri College Students' Intentions Towards Initiating or Changing Cannabis Use in a Shifting Legal Landscape.. Cannabis (Albuquerque, N.M.), 8(2), 33-50. https://doi.org/10.26828/cannabis/2025/000286