In the United States, cannabis is one of the two most commonly used substances, with the highest rates of use reported during young adulthood. The self-medication theory suggests that cannabis use may be a behavioral response to cope with unwanted mood and emotion. Additional theories under study were the dynamic model of addiction and the paradoxical effects of thought suppression and experiential avoidance. The current study used ecological momentary assessment to evaluate these three theories among young adult college student cannabis users by investigating contemporaneous and temporal links between positive and negative affect, craving, intoxication level, and coping style. Participants (N=86) were students at a large public university in the Pacific Northwest using cannabis two or more days per week, with problems related to cannabis use, and interest in changing their use. During a two-week ecological momentary assessment period, participants completed four daily self-reports. We constructed associative and temporal networks to test each of the three theories during cycles of cannabis use and cycles of cannabis non-use. Results provided evidence to support the dynamic model of addiction, as well as the paradoxical effects of thought suppression and experiential avoidance. However, there was mixed evidence related to the self-medication theory. The expected link between negative affect and level of intoxication was only observed in the contemporaneous model and not in the temporal model. Future research may investigate these theories among those using other substances, with more severe presentations, or greater readiness to change their use.
Cannabis use during a voluntary quit attempt: An analysis from ecological momentary assessment
