Studies have supported that prolonged marijuana use has negatively impacted the grades of students throughout school, as well as the likelihood of attending college. Researchers have correlated heavy marijuana use to higher drop out rates, not attending post/secondary education, and more/longer gap periods throughout school.

Creighton University

44% of college students reported having used marijuana while in school. This number has been increasing since the 80s. Furthermore, 8% of college students reported to intake marijuana on a daily basis. Administration of marijuana has increases to with the use of vaping devices.

Marijuana Use in College Students

Arria, A. M., Caldeira, K. M., Bugbee, B. A., Vincent, K. B., & O'Grady, K. E. (2015). The academic consequences of marijuana use during college. Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors, 29(3), 564–575. https://doi.org/10.1037/adb0000108

Reference for Academic Consequences of Marijuana Use

Academic Consequences of Marijuana Use

College students who are have higher social anxiety appear to be more vulnerable and impacted by marijuana problems. Students who were classified with social anxiety disorder were five times more likely to develop a dependence for marijuana in the future. 

A key discernment between those who use marijuana more frequently than others appears to be the difference in expectancies. College students who use more expect positive effects, like mood reduction. Whereas, college students who expect the negative effects of marijuana, use the substance less.

Social anxiety does not relate to the amount of marijuana that is consumed but the particular negative or positive expectancies that an individual has when anticipating the taking of the substance. There is a positive correlation between social anxiety and having negative expectancies of marijuana. 

Social Anxiety and Marijuana Use

Buckner, J. D., & Schmidt, N. B. (2008). Marijuana effect expectancies: relations to social anxiety and marijuana use problems. Addictive behaviors, 33(11), 1477–1483. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2008.06.017

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