A pair of first-of-their-kind surveys examining student behavior patterns before and after Oregon legalized cannabis reveals more similarities than differences.

The surveys measured the frequency of cannabis use before and after passage of Measure 91, which legalized recreational use, and show that legalization did little to significantly increase use among students. And while the surveys show UO students use cannabis more regularly than the national student average, the data also demonstrates that perceptions about how often students use it are much greater than what actually happens.

“While the data is good to have, it really comes as no surprise,” said R. Kevin Marbury, interim vice president for student life. “However, there is a significant difference between the actual frequency of use and how frequently people think their peers use.”

For example, 38.3 percent of students report never using recreational cannabis, but most students believe their peers were using at much higher rates — 97.3 percent of students believe their peers had used recreational cannabis at least once in the last year. On average, about 18 percent of students report using recreational cannabis one or more times per week but less than daily, yet 48.6 percent of students believe their peers use it this frequently.

“This shows that we have a great opportunity to demonstrate to our students that many of their peers are not using cannabis and even a smaller portion use it regularly,” Marbury said.

In his role as interim vice president for student life, Marbury oversees several programs aimed at preventing high-risk substance use and the negative consequences often associated with abuse.

The survey was done in partnership with the UO Prevention Science Institute, which is focused on understanding human development, preventing behavioral health problems and implementing effective interventions in community settings. The institute regularly works alongside professionals in the Division of Student Life to make assessments and gauge the risk that drugs and alcohol pose to students.

Results of these collaborations are available at prevention.uoregon.edu. The survey was developed and administered by a UO team that included Jessica Cronce, assistant professor of counseling psychology and human services; Beth Stormshak, Prevention Science Institute director; and Jennifer Summers, director of substance abuse prevention in the Office of the Dean of Students.

“The good news is that legalization did not substantially change the rates of usage on campus,” Stormshak said. “Generally, people who had used cannabis did not change their behavior after legalization. But our findings suggest that most students believe there are high rates of usage on campus. This is important because perceptions of usage impact actual use and are a key target for prevention.”

Surveys were administered to all students using an online data collection platform. The survey was administered twice: before and after Oregon voters approved Measure 91 legalizing recreational cannabis use, first in spring 2015 and again in spring 2016.

The legalization measure went into effect in July 2015. Of the more than 21,000 students at the UO, the first survey was completed by 27 percent of students — 6,087 — and the second survey was completed by 24 percent, or 5,391 people.

Researchers acknowledged that because the sampling was not done randomly, the study is vulnerable to selection bias, meaning students who were interested in cannabis may have been more likely to complete the survey.

But, Stormshak said, a large number of students, 2,101, completed both surveys. In general, the demographic distribution of survey participants closely reflects the overall student population in terms of sex and race.

Among the key findings:

• After legalization, the survey showed a slight increase in the number of students reporting they had ever used recreational cannabis (to 61.7 percent in 2016 from 58 percent in 2015).
• Most students have an awareness of the specifics of cannabis legalization, with 92.5 percent knowing it is illegal to grow in their residence halls, 76.4 percent knowing cannabis use in public is illegal and 69.1 percent knowing adults must be 21 to legally purchase cannabis.
• In 2016, a higher percentage of students who indicated that their sex assigned at birth was female reported never using recreational cannabis compared to students who indicated their sex assigned at birth was male, with 33.9 percent of male-identified students reporting they never used compared to 43.1 percent of female-identified students.

In examining usage among different student populations, researchers found:

• Intercollegiate athletes and Clark Honors College students reported the highest rates of abstention with 58.9 percent and 44 percent, respectively, reporting they had never used recreational cannabis.
• Students involved in Greek life and intramural sports had the highest rates of usage with roughly 10 percent from each population reporting daily recreational usage.

Most students reported having an awareness of the risks and negative consequences of using cannabis, both before and after legalization. Students reported they did not use cannabis along with alcohol or drive under the influence of cannabis at higher rates after legalization.

“There are many cultural issues surrounding cannabis use,” said Kris Winter, dean of students. “Having data from before and after legalization helps us to identify areas in need of focus for educational and peer programs designed to curb use before it has a negative impact on a student’s academic performance.”

The study was sponsored by a host of organizations, including the UO’s Prevention Science Institute, Office of the Dean of Students, Healthy Campus Initiative, University Health Center, and University Counseling and Testing Center, along with the Lane County Prevention Program and the Duck Store. The survey in 2016 also was supported by a grant administered through the Oregon Social Learning Center awarded to Prevention Science Institute researchers Jessica Cronce and Leslie Leve.

“The research is important because it helps us target prevention and intervention efforts on campus,” Stormshak said. “We hope to continue the survey in future years and study the impact of recreational cannabis use on our students at the UO as well as the impact of our targeted prevention efforts.”

To find out more about prevention efforts in the campus community visit prevention.uoregon.edu.

—By Tobin Klinger and Lewis Taylor