Examining the Co-occurrence of Cannabis-Gambling Behaviors and Mental Health Outcomes in Canadian College Students

Session Title

Poster session

Presenters

• Cerina Dubois, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins UniversityFollow
• Amrit Baral, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins UniversityFollow
• Lei Ding, Department of Statistics, University of ManitobaFollow
• Riana Durrett, UNLV Cannabis Policy InstituteFollow
• Johannes Thrul, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins UniversityFollow
• Maya C. Thulin, Department of Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan UniversityFollow
• David C Hodgins, Department of Psychology, University of CalgaryFollow
• Matthew T. Keough, Department of Psychology, York UniversityFollow
• Nassim Tabri, Carleton UniversityFollow
• Will Shead, Department of Psychology, Mount Saint Vincent UniversityFollow
• Samantha J. Dawson, Department of Psychology, University of British ColumbiaFollow
• Hyoun S. Kim, Department of Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan UniversityFollow

Presentation Type

Poster Presentation

Start Date

27-5-2026 12:00 AM

Abstract

Background: In North America, few studies have examined whether engaging in both gambling and cannabis use confers additive or synergistic effects on mental health. This study examines differences in mental health outcomes among Canadians who reported co-use of cannabis and gambling compared with exclusive use of cannabis or gambling. Methods: A cross-sectional sample of Canadians were recruited from undergraduate university classes and Prolific, an online panel platform. Participants were categorized into 3 mutually exclusive groups: (1) cannabis-only (n=1290), (2) gambling-only (n=557), and (3) cannabis-gambling co-use (n=552), including simultaneous use. Descriptive statistics compared socio-demographic, behavioral, and mental health characteristics across groups and Chi-squared tests/ANOVA or Kruskal–Wallis were applied, to test for group differences. Results: Of the total sample (n=2399, Mage:24 years, SD:8.8), 72.2% were female, and 50.1% were non-Hispanic White. Majority (53.8%) were cannabis-only users, 23.2% reported gambling-only, and 23% were co-users. Co-users consistently reported higher mean depression, anxiety, and stress (p<0.0001) scores compared to gambling-only and cannabis-only groups. Cannabis-only reported the highest PTSD scores. There were no significant differences in social anxiety scores between groups. Conclusions:Co-use of cannabis and gambling was associated with greater depression, anxiety, and stress compared to either behavior alone.

Author Bios

Dr. Cerina Dubois is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Mental Health at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University. At Johns Hopkins, Dr. Dubois examines the health outcomes of cannabis users and works collaboratively on the development of a national data repository of medicinal cannabis users. Her program of research focuses on the intersection of cannabis use and its association with comorbidities, including behavioral addictions.