Development and validation of the Comprehensive Cannabis Motives Questionnaire (CCMQ)

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychiatry
• Cannabis Research

Background:

• Existing cannabis use motive scales are limited, especially with rising medical cannabis use.
• A need exists for a comprehensive and psychometrically sound measure of cannabis consumption motives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Comprehensive Cannabis Motives Questionnaire (CCMQ).
• To create a robust scale capturing a wide spectrum of cannabis use motivations.

Main Methods:

• A 45-item questionnaire was administered to UK cannabis users (N=450) for exploratory factor analysis.
• Confirmatory factor analysis (N=200), test-retest reliability (N=45), and measurement invariance testing (US sample, N=216) were conducted.
• The scale was refined to 41 items, yielding an eight-factor solution.

Main Results:

• Factor analysis identified eight distinct motives: food, medicinal, sleep, social, high, coping, conformity, and creative.
• The CCMQ demonstrated good to excellent internal reliability (McDonald's ω: 0.85–0.97) and strong test-retest reliability.
• The scale showed measurement invariance across genders and between UK and US samples, correlating with problematic use indicators.

Conclusions:

• The Comprehensive Cannabis Motives Questionnaire (CCMQ) is a valid and reliable instrument.
• It accurately assesses the multifaceted motivations behind cannabis consumption.
• The CCMQ is suitable for diverse populations and research contexts.