Marijuana motives

The consequences of legal access to medical marijuana for individuals' well-being are controversially assessed. We contribute to the discussion by evaluating the impact of the introduction of medical marijuana laws across US states on self-reported mental health considering different motives for cannabis consumption. Our analysis is based on BRFSS survey data from close to eight million respondents between 1993 and 2018 that we combine with information from the NSDUH to estimate individual consumption propensities...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The potential for synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) to function as an alternative to marijuana without the same risk of a positive urinalyses led to claims of pervasive military SC use. Case studies confirm use among veterans, but no study has adequately explored SC use in the military using detailed interview data. METHODS: Interviews (1-2 h) were conducted with 318 justice-involved veterans. Recruitment was attempted with all participants in eight veterans treatment courts in three U...

Treatment demand for Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) has increased in the past decade in almost all European countries, and CUD is currently the most common reason for first-time drug-related treatment admission in the European Union. Even though several therapeutic approaches have been shown to benefit individuals with CUD, there is a lack of knowledge regarding factors associated with effective therapy and the underlying mechanisms of change among individuals with CUD presenting for treatment. The aim of the present paper was to review current knowledge on factors that have been shown to contribute to positive outcomes in CUD treatment...

BACKGROUND: Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is increasingly common and contributes to a range of health and social problems. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-intoxicating cannabinoid recognised for its anticonvulsant, anxiolytic and antipsychotic effects with no habit-forming qualities. Results from a Phase IIa randomised clinical trial suggest that treatment with CBD for four weeks reduced non-prescribed cannabis use in people with CUD. This study examines the efficacy, safety and quality of life of longer-term CBD treatment for patients with moderate-to-severe CUD...

Objective: To examine plans for postpartum cannabis use among pregnant individuals who used cannabis during early pregnancy. Materials and Methods: Eighteen virtual focus groups were conducted from November 17, 2021, to December 17, 2021, with 23 Black and 30 White pregnant adults in Kaiser Permanente Northern California, who self-reported prenatal cannabis use during early pregnancy. Focus groups were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The sample ( N  = 53) had a mean age of 30...

Background : Individuals with elevated social anxiety are vulnerable to experiencing negative consequences related to cannabis use. One transdiagnostic vulnerability factor that has received little attention in the social anxiety-cannabis problem relation is distress tolerance, which is associated with more cannabis use to manage negative affect broadly (i.e., coping motives) and cannabis-related problems. However, it is unknown whether distress tolerance is related to greater cannabis use to manage social anxiety specifically (i...

Background: Recent evidence indicates that alcohol and other substance co-use, compared to alcohol-only use, might be more closely associated with negative reinforcement processes, and thus more likely during periods of increased stress. The present study examined this possibility by using data from an intensive longitudinal (daily) study of college student drinkers ( N  = 1461, 54% women). We also examined individual differences in coping and enhancement drinking motives as predictors of alcohol and other substance co-use...

Substance use often begins during adolescence, placing youths at risk for fatal overdose and substance use disorders (SUD) in adulthood. Understanding the motivations reported by adolescents for using alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs and the persons with whom they use these substances could guide strategies to prevent or reduce substance use and its related consequences among adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted among adolescents being assessed for SUD treatment in the United States during 2014-2022, to examine self-reported motivations for using substances and the persons with whom substances were used...

OBJECTIVE: Many young adults report frequent cannabis use and are at risk for cannabis harms. Knowledge of the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) concentrations of cannabis products may promote harm reduction, but few studies have characterized cannabinoid concentration knowledge in this population. This study used day-level data to examine predictors of cannabinoid concentration knowledge and associations of cannabinoid concentration knowledge with substance-related consequences among young adults...

PURPOSE: Co-use of tobacco and cannabis is a common and complex behavior. The lack of harmonized measures of co-use yields confusion and inconsistencies in synthesizing evidence about the health effects of co-use. We aimed to classify co-use patterns based on temporal proximity and describe preferred products and motives for each pattern in order to improve co-use surveillance. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews in a sample of 34 young adults (Mage  = 22...

BACKGROUND: National studies reporting the prevalence of cannabis use have focused on individuals with a history of cancer without distinction by their treatment status, which can impact symptom burden. While pain is a primary motivation to use cannabis in cancer, the magnitude of its association with cannabis use remains understudied. METHODS: We examined cannabis use and pain management among 5523 respondents of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System with a cancer history...

As rates of students using cannabis continue to rise, simultaneous use of alcohol and cannabis (such that their effects overlap; commonly referred to as simultaneous alcohol and marijuana [SAM] use) is prevalent among college students who use both substances. Although research focusing on SAM use and related cognitions and consequences continues to grow, there are no common established measures, as approaches vary across studies. This narrative review identifies current methods for assessing SAM use and measures of SAM-related consequences and cognitions (motives and expectancies) among college students, evaluates how they were developed, identifies gaps in the literature, and provides recommendations for future directions of assessment...

Background: Cannabis interest and use is increasing in the United States, yet research on its use among cancer patients is limited. Methods: Individuals with cancer completed an anonymous cross-sectional questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regressions estimated odds ratios (OR) between patients' demographic and clinical characteristics with cannabis-related interest, current use, and provider recommendation. Results: Participants ( n  = 943) were, on average, 61.7 years old. Older patients were less likely to use cannabis products (OR = 0...

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a debilitating psychiatric condition. Consequently, it is common for those affected to resort to cannabis to cope with their symptoms. The primary objective of this study was to understand the differences between motivations for cannabis use in adults with and without SAD. We employed convergent, mixed methods to collect the data. Twenty-six individuals (age: 27.9 ± 7.3 years; 54% female) with and twenty-six (age: 27.4 ± 6.7 years; 50% female) without SAD were administered Marijuana Motives Measure (MMM)...

OBJECTIVE: The first COVID-19 lockdown was a very restrictive situation that may have impacted on the prevalence and patterns of cannabis use. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the evidence on cannabis use and reasons for use in different countries during first lockdown in young adults and general population. METHODS: This study followed PRISMA guidelines, and the review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (registration CRD42022303181). The search was carried out in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science y Embase databases...

BACKGROUND: Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is a common and consequential disorder. When applied to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) reduces craving across substance use disorders and may have therapeutic clinical effects when applied in serial-sessions. The present study sought to preliminarily determine whether serial-sessions of rTMS applied to the DLPFC had a therapeutic effect in CUD. METHODS: This study was a two-site, phase-2, double-blind, randomized-controlled-trial...

INTRODUCTION: Marijuana use is at historic highs amongst college-aged adults, who are more likely to engage in simultaneous alcohol and marijuana use (SAM) than other age cohorts. For college students, the COVID-19 pandemic is a unique transitory phenomenon that led to isolation, as well as changes in socialization, academic environments, and substance use. This exploratory qualitative study aims to understand SAM socialization and motivation behaviors among college students. METHODS: Semi-structured qualitative interviews (N=32) were conducted across the United States from January 2021-April 2021via Zoom...

Objective: Cannabis use in college students has increased over time and is linked to negative consequences. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many students experienced greater stress, which could heighten cannabis use and related consequences. This study was designed to clarify motivations for cannabis use that may link pandemic-related stressors to time spent high and cannabis-related consequences. Participants: A total of 488 cannabis-using college students (75% women) participated. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered in Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 to examine students' experiences during the pandemic...

This study explored the impact of COVID-related concerns and other characteristics on alcohol and marijuana use among sexual minority women (SMW). Survey data from a racially/ethnically diverse sample of 338 SMW participants in the Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women (CHLEW) study were used to examine correlates of three substance use outcomes: frequent intoxication (once a month or more), perceived increase in alcohol use, and perceived increase in marijuana use. Coping motives for alcohol use was positively associated with each of the substance use outcomes...

Sports medicine physicians and athletic trainers regularly encounter athletes who misuse substances that put them at risk for adverse health, social, interpersonal, academic, psychological, and performance effects. The three most encountered substances are alcohol (binge drinking), cannabis (marijuana), and tobacco/nicotine vaping. Early detection using self-report screening instruments, adverse consequences questionnaires, and urine testing are reviewed. Brief interventions that involve personalized feedback, goal setting, support system involvement, psychoeducation, contingency management, and/or motivational interviewing are highlighted...