New Article on Cannabis Use in College

This article took sometime to author, given the challenges of data collection centered on this topic. In this research study that was co-authored with my frequent scholarly collaborator, Dr. Shelley Price-Williams (University of Northern Iowa), we explored how undergraduate students are negoiating undergraduate cannabis use. In the United States, perceptions of cannabis use, particularly among college students, have become increasingly favorable. In conjunction with this development, other social, cultural, and legal transformations have persisted in favor of open cannabis usage, although with possible repercussions. This phenomenological qualitative study examined the a priori experiences of undergraduate college students (n = 22) about cannabis usage in places where recreational cannabis is authorized. The study's findings indicated a widespread gap in understanding cannabis usage within the existing legal framework, along with a strong inclination towards safe consuming practices and a demand for more substantive education. It is recommended that higher education institutions enhance education on safe practices and address stigma and misconceptions related to cannabis. This study contributes to a deeper, more complex understanding how students are navigating campus prohibition spaces in relation to legalized off-campus spaces. This is available open-access in the Journal of Innovative Higher Education.

Sasso, P. A., & Price-Williams, S. (2025). Land of the Free, Home of the Blazed: Legalized Recreational Cannabis Among Undergraduate College Students. Journal of Innovative Higher Education, 50, 1765-1785.