Cannabis use in civilian college students and college student service members/veterans: the moderating effect of anxiety

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug on college campuses. Research suggests that Student Service Members/Veterans (SSM/V) may be more likely to use alcohol than civilian students, but little research has focused on cannabis use in these two samples. Objectives: The purpose of the current study was to compare cannabis use frequency, cannabis use disorder (CUD) symptoms, and cannabis-related problems between civilian students and SSM/V. A second aim was to determine if group differences in these outcomes were moderated by symptoms of depression, stress, or anxiety. Methods: The sample included 164 college SSM/V (80.4% female, 19.6% male) and 456 civilian (78% female, 22% male) college students. Participants completed an online survey assessing demographics, number of days of past month cannabis use, cannabis-related problems, CUD symptoms, and a measure of anxiety, depression, and stress. Results: Negative binomial regressions indicated no significant differences in number of days of past-month cannabis use or past-year cannabis-related problems between civilian students and SSM/V, although SSM/V reported more past-year CUD symptoms. Moderation analyses revealed that at elevated levels of anxiety, SSM/V students used cannabis more frequently than civilian students. Conclusion: These findings indicate that when experiencing elevated levels of anxiety, SSM/V use cannabis more frequently than civilian students, suggesting that anxiety may be a more prominent risk factor for frequency of cannabis use for SSM/V compared to civilian students. Education, prevention, and intervention efforts specifically addressing anxiety in this demographic are needed.