Identity as a cannabis user is related to problematic patterns of consumption among emerging adults.

INTRODUCTION: Cannabis use has become a more normative, socially-acceptable behavior in the United States, despite research indicating that frequent use may become problematic for some individuals. Emerging adulthood, a time of identity development, is the most common time for cannabis use. Cannabis self-concept, or one's identification with cannabis as part of their personality or identity, is one factor that may influence use behavior. This study extends previous research that reported a link between self-concept, motivational factors, and normative beliefs by evaluating relationships between cannabis self-concept, motives for use, motivation to change, perceived descriptive norms, as well as cannabis-related outcomes (use, using alone, and cannabis-related problems).

METHODS: Emerging adults who used cannabis in the previous month (n=345, 53.9% male, mean age 21.0, 67.5% Non-Latino White) were recruited from a community sample for a health behaviors study. Participants were assessed for explicit cannabis self-concept, frequency of use, problems associated with use, motives for use, motivation to change, and normative beliefs about others' use.

RESULTS: Participants reported using cannabis on an average of 17.9 (SD=11.1) days of the previous month. Correlational analyses revealed that cannabis self-concept was positively associated with frequency of use, use-related problems, several motives for use, descriptive norms, and with using cannabis alone. Multivariate analyses revealed that rates of use, problems, and social and enhancement motives were independently and positively associated (p<0.05) with cannabis self-concept, while self-concept was negatively associated with desire to reduce cannabis use.

CONCLUSIONS: Cannabis self-concept may be a marker for more problematic patterns of use.