Marijuana use, risk perception, and consequences: is perceived risk congruent with reality?

The present study evaluates differences in risk perception related to marijuana use as a function of past use and, among those who report marijuana use, as a function of frequency of use and having experienced a consequence in the past. Participants were 725 incoming first year college students in a longitudinal study examining the efficacy of a marijuana prevention program. Analyses of cross-sectional data indicated that risk perception was greater among non-users of marijuana than for those who reported marijuana use (and, in turn, who were more likely to have actually experienced a drug-related consequence).