Cannabis-Related Perceptions as Mediators of the Association Between Trait Impulsivity and Cannabis Outcomes

Normative perceptions have been shown to mediate the effect of personality traits on cannabis outcomes. We examined descriptive norms, injunctive norms, and the role of cannabis in college life as possible mediators of the association between impulsivity-related traits (i.e., negative urgency, positive urgency, sensation seeking, perseverance, and premeditation) and cannabis outcomes (i.e., frequency of cannabis use and negative consequences) among college students from five countries.

A total of 1,175 college students (United States, n = 698; Argentina, n = 153; Spain, n = 178; Uruguay, n = 79; and Netherlands, n = 67) who were also cannabis users (i.e., reported cannabis use at least once within the previous month) completed an online survey. We used path analysis to test whether the proposed double-mediated paths (impulsivity-like traits→perceived cannabis norms→cannabis use frequency→negative cannabis-related consequences) were invariant across countries/cultures.

Cannabis-related perceptions, particularly college cannabis beliefs and injunctive norms, significantly mediated the association between impulsivity and cannabis outcomes. Two significant double-mediated paths, which were invariant across sex and countries, were found: (a) higher positive urgency→higher endorsement of internalized norms→higher cannabis use frequency→more negative cannabis-related consequences and (b) higher sensation seeking→higher endorsement of injunctive norms→higher cannabis use frequency→more negative cannabis-related consequences.

The study corroborates previous findings on normative perceptions mediating the effects of impulsivity-like traits on cannabis outcomes and suggests that these processes may operate similarly among college student cannabis users in different legal and cultural contexts. The findings highlight the need to address internalized norms and suggest these normative perceptions may be a good intervention candidate to reduce cannabis use/consequences.