{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,29]],"date-time":"2026-08-29T08:01:38Z","timestamp":1787990498556,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":55,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,23]],"date-time":"2026-07-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1784764800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>Cannabis use is prevalent among young adults and is influenced by a range of psychological, behavioral, and environmental factors. Although some individuals report using cannabis to manage stress or trauma-related symptoms, the relative contribution of early adversity and concurrent psychosocial factors to cannabis use\u2014and whether these associations differ by sex\u2014remains unclear. This study examined the extent to which adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), depressive and anxiety symptoms, alcohol use, and dissociative experiences are associated with cannabis use in men and women. A total of 1,210 undergraduates (84% female) completed surveys assessing these domains. R-squared decomposition analyses were used to quantify each factor\u2019s contribution to variance in cannabis use by sex. Alcohol use was the strongest predictor across both sexes. ACEs explained a greater proportion of variance among men (14.8%) than women (5.7%), with household incarceration most influential for men and household substance use most influential for women. Dissociative symptoms were uniquely associated with cannabis use among women. These findings suggest that cannabis use in emerging adults reflects multiple, sex-specific pathways involving both early life experiences and current psychosocial factors, underscoring the need for tailored prevention and intervention strategies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1869003","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,23]],"date-time":"2026-07-23T05:37:47Z","timestamp":1784785067000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Sex differences in factors associated with cannabis use among emerging adults"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Sharlene D.","family":"Newman","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Alabama Life Research Institute, The University of Alabama","place":["Tuscaloosa, AL, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chuong","family":"Bui","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Alabama Life Research Institute, The University of Alabama","place":["Tuscaloosa, AL, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"309","DOI":"10.1080\/0959523031000154454","article-title":"A prototype screening instrument for cannabis use disorder: the Cannabis use disorders identification test (CUDIT) in an alcohol-dependent clinical sample","volume":"22","author":"Adamson","year":"2003","journal-title":"Drug Alcohol Rev."},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"214","DOI":"10.1080\/15299732.2022.2119633","article-title":"Psychometrics of three dissociation scales: reliability and validity data on the DESR, DES-II, and DESC","volume":"24","author":"Arzoumanian","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Trauma Dissociation"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"301","DOI":"10.1007\/s00213-003-1550-7","article-title":"Chronic treatment with CP 55,940 during the peri-adolescent period differentially affects the behavioural responses of male and female rats in adulthood","volume":"170","author":"Biscaia","year":"2003","journal-title":"Psychopharmacology"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1208","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1530-0277.2007.00403.x","article-title":"AUDIT-C as a brief screen for alcohol misuse in primary care","volume":"31","author":"Bradley","year":"2007","journal-title":"Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res."},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"344","DOI":"10.1176\/appi.psychotherapy.1999.53.3.344","article-title":"Deconstructing did","volume":"53","author":"Brenner","year":"1999","journal-title":"Am. J. Psychother."},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1789","DOI":"10.1001\/archinte.158.16.1789","article-title":"The AUDIT alcohol consumption questions (AUDIT-C): an effective brief screening test for problem drinking","volume":"158","author":"Bush","year":"1998","journal-title":"Arch. Intern. Med."},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1257","DOI":"10.1007\/s00127-015-1024-3","article-title":"Gender-specific profiles of adverse childhood experiences, past year mental and substance use disorders, and their associations among a national sample of adults in the United States","volume":"50","author":"Cavanaugh","year":"2015","journal-title":"Soc. Psychiatry Psychiatr. Epidemiol."},{"key":"ref11","year":"2024"},{"key":"ref12","volume-title":"New Directions in Child Abuse and Neglect Research","author":"Petersen","year":"2014"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"79","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2013.00079","article-title":"Polysubstance use in cannabis users referred for treatment: drug use profiles, psychiatric comorbidity and cannabis-related beliefs","volume":"4","author":"Connor","year":"2013","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref15","article-title":"New versions of the dissociative experiences scale: the DES \u2013 R (revised) and the DES \u2013 B (brief)","author":"Dalenberg","year":"2010"},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"424","DOI":"10.1159\/000191646","article-title":"Sex differences in the cannabinoid modulation of appetite, body temperature and neurotransmission at POMC synapses","volume":"89","author":"Diaz","year":"2009","journal-title":"Neuroendocrinology"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"268","DOI":"10.1016\/S0091-7435(03)00123-3","article-title":"The impact of adverse childhood experiences on health problems: evidence from four birth cohorts dating back to 1900","volume":"37","author":"Dube","year":"2003","journal-title":"Prev. Med."},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"231","DOI":"10.1097\/00005053-199504000-00008","article-title":"Psychometric properties of the dissociative experiences scale","volume":"183","author":"Dubester","year":"1995","journal-title":"J. Nerv. Ment. Dis."},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"32","DOI":"10.1186\/s41038-018-0134-z","article-title":"Long-term mental health outcomes after unintentional burns sustained during childhood: a retrospective cohort study","volume":"6","author":"Duke","year":"2018","journal-title":"Burns Trauma"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1777","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-8624.2008.01225.x","article-title":"The social ecology of adolescent alcohol misuse","volume":"79","author":"Ennett","year":"2008","journal-title":"Child Dev."},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"S237","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psyneuen.2009.04.007","article-title":"Sex differences in the cannabinoid regulation of energy homeostasis","volume":"34","author":"Farhang","year":"2009","journal-title":"Psychoneuroendocrinology"},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"245","DOI":"10.1016\/S0749-3797(98)00017-8","article-title":"Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults: the adverse childhood experiences (ACE) study","volume":"14","author":"Felitti","year":"1998","journal-title":"Am. J. Prev. Med."},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1037\/e615642009-001","article-title":"Children\u2019s exposure to violence: A comprehensive national survey","volume-title":"Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention","author":"Finkelhor","year":"2009"},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"273","DOI":"10.1093\/alcalc\/ags027","article-title":"CAGE, RAPS4, RAPS4-QF and AUDIT screening tests for men and women admitted for acute alcohol intoxication to an emergency department: are standard thresholds appropriate?","volume":"47","author":"Geneste","year":"2012","journal-title":"Alcohol Alcohol."},{"key":"ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1354","DOI":"10.4088\/JCP.v69n0902","article-title":"Cannabis withdrawal in the United States: a general population study","volume":"69","author":"Hasin","year":"2008","journal-title":"J. Clin. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"15","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm10010015","article-title":"Cannabis use, cannabis use disorder, and comorbid psychiatric illness: a narrative review","volume":"10","author":"Hasin","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Clin. Med."},{"key":"ref30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"265","DOI":"10.4103\/amhs.amhs_338_24","article-title":"Understanding dissociative (conversion) disorder in adolescents: a theoretical exploration of dissociation in response to developmental stress","volume":"13","author":"Humtsoe","year":"2025","journal-title":"Arch. Med. Health Sci."},{"key":"ref31","article-title":"Current contraceptive use in the United States 2006-2010, and changes in patterns of use since 1995","volume-title":"Centers for Disease Control and Prevention","author":"Jones","year":"2012"},{"key":"ref32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"16","DOI":"10.1080\/15299732.2019.1647915","article-title":"The prevalence of dissociative disorders and dissociative experiences in college populations: a meta-analysis of 98 studies","volume":"21","author":"Kate","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Trauma Dissociation"},{"key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"108611","DOI":"10.1016\/j.drugalcdep.2021.108611","article-title":"Associations of parental and peer cross-substance use with 12\u201317-year-old adolescents\u2019 problematic alcohol use: a parent-child dyadic gender analysis","volume":"221","author":"Kuo","year":"2021","journal-title":"Drug Alcohol Depend."},{"key":"ref35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"391","DOI":"10.1007\/s10552-006-0103-x","article-title":"Marijuana and tobacco use among young adults in Canada: are they smoking what we think they are smoking?","volume":"18","author":"Leatherdale","year":"2007","journal-title":"Cancer Causes Control"},{"key":"ref36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"229","DOI":"10.31887\/DCNS.2018.20.3\/rloewenstein","article-title":"Dissociation debates: everything you know is wrong","volume":"20","author":"Loewenstein","year":"2018","journal-title":"Dialogues Clin. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"163","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpsychores.2004.09.006","article-title":"Detecting and monitoring depression with a two-item questionnaire (PHQ-2)","volume":"58","author":"L\u00f6we","year":"2005","journal-title":"J. Psychosom. Res."},{"key":"ref38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"159","DOI":"10.1007\/s40894-022-00182-9","article-title":"Physical and psychosocial impacts of parental incarceration on children and adolescents: a systematic review differentiating age of exposure","volume":"8","author":"Luk","year":"2023","journal-title":"Adolesc. Res. Rev."},{"key":"ref40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1401","DOI":"10.1016\/j.paid.2004.01.010","article-title":"Gender differences in stress and coping styles","volume":"37","author":"Matud","year":"2004","journal-title":"Personal. Individ. Differ."},{"key":"ref41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"157","DOI":"10.1007\/s11920-024-01490-8","article-title":"Sex differences in stress susceptibility as a key mechanism underlying depression risk","volume":"26","author":"Mengelkoch","year":"2024","journal-title":"Curr. Psychiatry Rep."},{"key":"ref47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"416","DOI":"10.1080\/15299732.2011.570592","article-title":"Dissociation in trauma: a new definition and comparison with previous formulations","volume":"12","author":"Nijenhuis","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Trauma Dissociation"},{"key":"ref48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"92","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jcbs.2021.12.005","article-title":"Psychological inflexibility as a mediator of the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and dissociation","volume":"23","author":"Parfait","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Contextual Behav. Sci."},{"key":"ref49","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e70051","DOI":"10.1111\/eip.70051","article-title":"Increased prevalence of childhood complex trauma in comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use disorders compared to either disorder alone: a systematic review","volume":"19","author":"Patel","year":"2025","journal-title":"Early Interv. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref50","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"963","DOI":"10.1111\/jnc.15208","article-title":"Sex differences in the neurochemistry of frontal cortex: impact of early life stress","volume":"157","author":"Perry","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Neurochem."},{"key":"ref53","first-page":"233","article-title":"Taking the Measure of Dissociation","volume-title":"Journal of Trauma & Dissociation,","author":"Putnam","year":"2009"},{"key":"ref54","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"109118","DOI":"10.1016\/j.drugalcdep.2021.109118","article-title":"Cannabis use disorder and dissociation: a report from a prospective first-episode psychosis study","volume":"229","author":"Ricci","year":"2021","journal-title":"Drug Alcohol Depend."},{"key":"ref56","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"404538","DOI":"10.1155\/2011\/404538","article-title":"Epidemiology of dissociative disorders: an overview","volume":"2011","author":"Sar","year":"2011","journal-title":"Epidemiol. Res. Int."},{"key":"ref57","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"12","DOI":"10.1089\/can.2022.0183","article-title":"Cannabis in adolescence: lasting cognitive alterations and underlying mechanisms","volume":"8","author":"Scheyer","year":"2023","journal-title":"Cannabis Cannabinoid Res."},{"key":"ref58","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"105724","DOI":"10.1016\/j.puhe.2025.105724","article-title":"The impact of adverse childhood experiences on health outcomes of indigenous populations over the life course: a systematic review","volume":"243","author":"Shahunja","year":"2025","journal-title":"Public Health"},{"key":"ref59","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"16","DOI":"10.7812\/TPP\/16-005","article-title":"Effectiveness of cannabidiol oil for pediatric anxiety and insomnia as part of posttraumatic stress disorder: a case report","volume":"20","author":"Shannon","year":"2016","journal-title":"Perm. J."},{"key":"ref60","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"374","DOI":"10.1097\/00005053-196304000-00008","article-title":"The dissociation-association continuum","volume":"136","author":"Spiegel","year":"1963","journal-title":"J. Nerv. Ment. Dis."},{"key":"ref61","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1092","DOI":"10.1001\/archinte.166.10.1092","article-title":"A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7","volume":"166","author":"Spitzer","year":"2006","journal-title":"Arch. Intern. Med."},{"key":"ref62","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1737","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.282.18.1737","article-title":"Validation and utility of a self-report version of PRIME-MD: the PHQ primary care study","volume":"282","author":"Spitzer","year":"1999","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"key":"ref63","volume-title":"Key Substance use and mental Health Indicators in the United States: Results from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. PEP22-07-01-005, NSDUH Series H-57)","year":"2022"},{"key":"ref64","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"43","DOI":"10.1016\/j.schres.2016.09.030","article-title":"Psychotic-like experiences, trauma and related risk factors among \u201cleft-behind\u201d children in China","volume":"181","author":"Sun","year":"2017","journal-title":"Schizophr. Res."},{"key":"ref66","first-page":"37","article-title":"Sex differences in trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder: A quantitative review of 25 years of research","volume-title":"Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy","author":"Tolin","year":"2008"},{"key":"ref67","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"25","DOI":"10.1007\/s00213-003-1620-x","article-title":"CB1 receptor mediation of cannabinoid behavioral effects in male and female rats","volume":"172","author":"Tseng","year":"2004","journal-title":"Psychopharmacology"},{"key":"ref68","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"172","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jadohealth.2003.09.021","article-title":"Predictors of smoking development in a population-based sample of adolescents: a prospective study","volume":"35","author":"Van Den Bree","year":"2004","journal-title":"J. Adolesc. Health"},{"key":"ref70","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"253","DOI":"10.3109\/10673229409017088","article-title":"The body keeps the score: memory and the evolving psychobiology of posttraumatic stress","volume":"1","author":"Van der Kolk","year":"1994","journal-title":"Harv. Rev. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref71","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1471","DOI":"10.1016\/j.addbeh.2014.05.020","article-title":"The mediating role of depressive symptoms in the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and smoking","volume":"39","author":"Walsh","year":"2014","journal-title":"Addict. Behav."},{"key":"ref72","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"227","DOI":"10.1093\/scan\/nsm018","article-title":"Gender difference in neural response to psychological stress","volume":"2","author":"Wang","year":"2007","journal-title":"Soc. Cogn. Affect. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref74","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"304","DOI":"10.1016\/S2215-0366(26)00015-5","article-title":"The efficacy and safety of cannabinoids for the treatment of mental disorders and substance use disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"13","author":"Wilson","year":"2026","journal-title":"Lancet Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref76","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"761","DOI":"10.3390\/children8090761","article-title":"Adverse childhood experiences predict common neurodevelopmental and behavioral health conditions among US children","volume":"8","author":"Zarei","year":"2021","journal-title":"Children"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Psychology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1869003\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,23]],"date-time":"2026-07-23T05:37:50Z","timestamp":1784785070000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1869003\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,23]]},"references-count":55,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1869003"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1869003","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-1078"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-1078","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,23]]},"article-number":"1869003"}}