Marijuana use motives: A confirmatory test and evaluation among young adult marijuana users

The present investigation evaluated the measurement model and construct validity of marijuana use motives as measured by the Marijuana Motives Measure (MMM; [Simons, J., Correia, C. J., Carey, K. B., and Borsari, B. E. (1998). Validating a five-factor marijuana motives measure: Relations with use, problems, and alcohol motives. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 45, 265-273]). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and incremental tests of validity of marijuana use motives were conducted on a sample of young adult marijuana users (n=227, 127 women; M(age)=20.11, SD=4.30 years). As hypothesized, CFA analysis of marijuana use motives, as indexed by the MMM, demonstrated support for a multidimensional measurement model; specifically, a five-factor solution denoting Enhancement, Conformity, Expansion, Coping, and Social motives for marijuana use, each with satisfactory levels of internal consistency. Subsequent tests of incremental validity suggested that only certain motives were uniquely related to current substance use and cognitive-affective factors. Results are discussed in relation to refining the scientific understanding of marijuana use motives.