Perceived Norms and Marijuana Use at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Relatively little is known about the extent of marijuana use and related risk-taking behavior by college students on historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Undergraduate students (N = 212) from an HBCU in the southern region of the United States completed anonymous questionnaires that assessed their marijuana-related behaviors and perceptions. Logistic regression analysis revealed risk factor profiles that provide college counselors with greater insight into prevention and treatment on HBCU campuses. Keywords: social norms, marijuana use, marijuana-impaired driving ********** Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug on college campuses, with 31% of students using marijuana during the past year and 17% using marijuana during the past month (Core Institute, 2012). Epidemiological studies of substance use among undergraduates have indicated that African American students use marijuana at lower rates compared with their White counterparts (Johnston, O'Malley, Bachman, & Schulenberg, 2011). However, because most research on marijuana use by African American students has been conducted at predominantly White colleges and universities, the prevalence of marijuana use among students enrolled at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) remains unclear (Bowen-Reid & Rhodes, 2003). Moreover, the psychosocial determinants of marijuana use and related negative consequences among students attending HBCUs are poorly understood (Dowdall & Wechsler, 2002). The potential physical, social, and legal consequences associated with marijuana use make it essential for researchers to study these trends at HBCUs to inform prevention and treatment efforts. Consequences of Marijuana Use Abuse of marijuana by college students can produce myriad psychological, academic, and physical negative consequences. Caldeira, Arria, O'Grady, Vincent, and Wish (2008) found that nearly 25% of past-year users of marijuana met the diagnostic criteria for a cannabis use disorder (i.e., abuse or dependence; American Psychiatric Association, 2000). In a study of undergraduate students (N = 1,689), Buckner, Ecker, and Cohen (2010) found that frequency of marijuana use was related to greater academic difficulties, lower productivity, problems with family, memory loss, and lowered self-esteem. Furthermore, marijuana use has been linked to the use of alcohol (Bell, Wechsler, & Johnston, 1997) and impaired driving among college students (Caldeira et al., 2008). The relationship between using marijuana and impaired driving is troubling because of the physiological effects of marijuana use. The physiological impact of marijuana use on driving has received increasing attention in the literature in recent years. In a meta-analysis of 120 studies on marijuana-impaired driving, Sewell, Poling, and Sofuoglu (2009) found that marijuana use resulted in poorer monitoring of speed, increased time to brake when a light changes, and increased time to respond to a traffic signal or sudden sound. The use of marijuana prior to driving has been shown to increase brake latency (i.e., the time between recognition of a need to brake and actual braking; Liguori, Gatto, & Robinson, 1998). Anderson, Rizzo, Block, Pearlson, and O'Leary (2010) found that participants under the influence of marijuana decreased their speed and failed to respond during a simulated distracted driving test. Using brain imaging on marijuana users engaging in a virtual reality maze task, Weinstein et al. (2008) found that the immediate effects of marijuana use can impair cognitive-motor skills that coordinate movement and driving. Blows et al. (2005) found a significant association between regular use of marijuana and car crash injury. Because of the consequences associated with marijuana use, researchers have sought to determine the psychosocial factors that influence these behaviors. Social Norms Theory College students tend to overestimate the rates of marijuana use behaviors among their peers on campus (Kilmer et al. …