Among Daily Cannabis Users, Risk-Seekers Had More Negative Consequences
In a study of 51 daily legal cannabis users, risk-seeking personality predicted more negative consequences, while positive urgency (acting impulsively when feeling good) unexpectedly predicted fewer consequences.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Among daily legal cannabis users, risk-seeking personality was significantly positively associated with negative cannabis-related consequences. Surprisingly, positive urgency (acting impulsively when feeling good) was significantly negatively associated with consequences, opposite to expectations. Other impulsivity and sensation-seeking facets were not significantly associated.
Key Numbers
N=51 community adults with daily legal cannabis use. Risk-seeking significantly positively predicted negative consequences. Positive urgency significantly negatively predicted negative consequences. All other personality facets: not significant.
How They Did This
Cross-sectional study of 51 community adults with daily legal cannabis use, using two multiple regression models predicting negative cannabis-related consequences from impulsivity facets and sensation-seeking facets.
Why This Research Matters
Most impulsivity research on cannabis consequences focuses on people with problematic use or in illegal markets. This study suggests that among daily users in a legal market, the personality factors that predict negative outcomes may differ from what previous research found in other populations.
The Bigger Picture
As cannabis becomes legal in more jurisdictions, understanding what drives negative consequences among daily users in legal markets becomes increasingly important. The unexpected finding about positive urgency suggests that impulsivity may function differently in established daily users than in occasional or problematic users.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Very small sample (N=51) limits statistical power and generalizability. Cross-sectional design cannot establish causation. Community convenience sample. Did not control for type of cannabis product, dose, or context of use.
Questions This Raises
- ?Why did positive urgency predict fewer negative consequences among daily users?
- ?Do established daily cannabis users develop behavioral strategies that reduce impulsivity-related consequences?
- ?Would these patterns hold in a larger sample?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Risk-seeking personality predicted more negative consequences in daily users
- Evidence Grade:
- Preliminary evidence from a very small cross-sectional study of daily cannabis users in a legal market.
- Study Age:
- 2025 study examining personality predictors in daily legal cannabis users.
- Original Title:
- Daily Cannabis Use: Do Impulsivity and Sensation Seeking Predict Negative Cannabis Related Consequences?
- Published In:
- Journal of drug issues, 55(3) (2025)
- Authors:
- Parnes, Jamie E(4), Tyskiewicz, Alexander J(2), Prince, Mark A(4), Conner, Bradley T
- Database ID:
- RTHC-07317
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does impulsivity predict cannabis problems?
In this study of daily legal users, the relationship was more nuanced than expected. Risk-seeking predicted more negative consequences, but positive urgency (acting impulsively when feeling good) actually predicted fewer consequences, suggesting that personality-consequence relationships may differ in established daily users.
Who is most at risk for negative consequences from daily use?
Among the personality traits measured, risk-seeking was the strongest predictor of negative cannabis-related consequences. This suggests that thrill-seeking tendencies, rather than general impulsivity, may be the key personality factor in this population.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-07317APA
Parnes, Jamie E; Tyskiewicz, Alexander J; Prince, Mark A; Conner, Bradley T. (2025). Daily Cannabis Use: Do Impulsivity and Sensation Seeking Predict Negative Cannabis Related Consequences?. Journal of drug issues, 55(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/00220426231226221
MLA
Parnes, Jamie E, et al. "Daily Cannabis Use: Do Impulsivity and Sensation Seeking Predict Negative Cannabis Related Consequences?." Journal of drug issues, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220426231226221
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Daily Cannabis Use: Do Impulsivity and Sensation Seeking Pre..." RTHC-07317. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/parnes-2025-daily-cannabis-use-do
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.