Marijuana and self-regulation: examining likelihood and intensity of use and problems

It is important to understand the individual differences that contribute to greater frequency or intensity of marijuana use, or greater frequency of experiencing marijuana-related problems. The current study examined several elements of behavioral and emotional self-regulation as predictors of the likelihood and intensity of both marijuana use and marijuana-related problems. As predicted, indices of behavioral self-regulation (self-control, sensation seeking) were better predictors of marijuana use, while indices of emotional self-regulation (affect, distress tolerance, and emotional instability) better predicted marijuana-related problems. Surprisingly, urgency was not related to use but was predictive of problems, and there were no significant interactions between behavioral and emotional self-regulation in predicting either use or problems. From these findings we conclude that while behavioral dysregulation may put individuals at risk for using marijuana, or using it more frequently, it is those individuals with difficulty in emotional self-regulation that are at risk for experiencing negative consequences as a result of their marijuana use. Clinically, these data are relevant; clinicians might focus more on addressing emotional regulation in order to lessen or eliminate the consequences of marijuana use.