305 - Cannabis use Among Gender and Sexual Minority College Students

Previous research has found an increased risk for substance use in sexual and gender minority (SGM) identifying individuals. Broadly, within the age groups of college students and emerging adulthood, heightened rates of marijuana use have been observed for individuals endorsing a sexual and/or gender minority identity (Dunbar et al., 2022). The current study will examine associations between college students' rates of marijuana use and the endorsement of a SGM identity status. Participants (N = 150; Age = 19.2, SD = 1.7) reported on their sexual and gender identity and completed self-report measures, including the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS; Gratz & Romer, 2004), the Daily Sessions, Frequency, Age of Onset, and Quantity of Cannabis Use Inventory (DFAQ-CU; Cuttler & Spradlin, 2017), and the Marijuana Motives Measure (MMM; Simons et al., 1998). We hypothesized that SGM individuals would report increased marijuana use quantity and frequency, and use of marijuana to cope with negative emotions when compared to their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts. Preliminary research suggests higher rates of poor emotion regulation and cannabis use to cope with negative emotions among sexual minority youth. Future analyses will suggest the need to address cannabis use disparities between SGM students and their heterosexual and/or cisgender counterparts, helping to identify targets for intervention.