Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
Published on: August 18, 2020
Reliability and validity of a short form of the Marijuana Craving Questionnaire
Stephen J Heishman1, Rebecca J Evans, Edward G Singleton
1Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 251 Bayview Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. heishman@nih.gov
Background:
The Marijuana Craving Questionnaire (MCQ) is a valid and reliable, 47-item self-report instrument that assesses marijuana craving along four dimensions: compulsivity, emotionality, expectancy, and purposefulness. For use in research and clinical settings, we constructed a 12-item version of the MCQ by selecting three items from each of the four factors that exhibited the greatest within-factor internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient).
Methods:
Adult marijuana users (n=490), who had made at least one serious attempt to quit marijuana use but were not seeking treatment, completed the MCQ-Short Form (MCQ-SF) in a single session.
Results:
Confirmatory factor analysis of the MCQ-SF indicated good fit with the 4-factor MCQ model, and the coefficient of congruence indicated moderate similarity in factor patterns and loadings between the MCQ and MCQ-SF. Homogeneity (unidimensionality and internal consistency) of MCQ-SF factors was also consistent with reliability values obtained in the initial validation of the MCQ.
Conclusions:
Findings of psychometric fidelity indicate that the MCQ-SF is a reliable and valid measure of the same multidimensional aspects of marijuana craving as the MCQ in marijuana users not seeking treatment.
Related Concept Videos
Reliability and Validity
Self-Report Tests of Personality
Drug Dependence
