Perceived norm for marijuana use among university student peers [Norma percibida de consumo de marihuana en los pares de estudiantes universitarios]

This article describes the relationship between the perceived norm for marijuana use among peers and the use reported by university students in Chile. This is a qualitative, multicenter, cross-sectional study. A total 449 students participated with free consent. Data collection was performed using a self-administered questionnaire, and SPSS 15.0 was used for data analysis. Results: most participants were women, single, between 20 and 21 years of age, students of nursing and education. The perceived norm is higher than reports from national studies (32.1% against 21%) and higher than the self-reported use (32.1% against 5.6%). Marijuana use is higher among women, in nursing and education courses. It was confirmed that marijuana use among women begins at the university; as it was used as a recreational drug and there was more tolerance among peers. It was observed that marijuana use was overestimated, which, according to the Theory of Social Norms and Normalization, has an effect on the increase of drug use. This study is a contribution for the country's and the university's policies.