Cannabis Outcome Expectancies, Cannabis Use Motives, and Cannabis Use among a Small Sample of Frequent Using Adults

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the factors influencing use among frequent cannabis users, defined here as using at least three times per week. Outcome expectancies and motives for cannabis use have been independently examined in relation to cannabis use, but not among frequent users. Further, the associations among distinct expectancies and motives for cannabis use have yet to be explored. The current study examined whether expectancies influence cannabis use through cannabis use motives among frequent users. Additionally, we examined more nuanced relationships among three cannabis outcome expectancies (relaxation/tension reduction, social, perceptual/cognitive) and four motives (enhancement, social, coping, expansion). METHOD: Bayesian path analysis with informative priors was used to examine associations among expectancies, motives, and outcomes in a sample of 54 (63% male) young adult frequent users (i.e., at least three times per week; 65% used daily). Participants were recruited from the community and completed self-report questionnaires assessing cannabis use, expectancies, and motives. RESULTS: Findings support hypotheses that cannabis use expectancies were associated with unique motives for frequent cannabis users. Perceptual/cognitive enhancement expectancies were the only expectancy to consistently relate to all four cannabis use motives. Social expectancies were related to enhancement, social, and expansion motives for use, and relaxation/tension reduction expectancies were associated with coping motives. CONCLUSIONS: Results extend previous work examining direct and indirect effects of expectancies and motives among frequent using young adults. Findings support the potential clinical utility of exploring the perceived functional benefits of cannabis use for individual frequent users as well as potential alternatives that might serve similar functions with fewer risks and consequences.