A Factor Analysis of the Marijuana Motives Measure in an Anxiety and Related Disorders Sample

Motivational models of cannabis use, amongst other substances, suggest that individuals are driven to use it to achieve variable personally important outcomes. Understanding individuals' personal motivations for cannabis use is essential to screen for problematic use and intervene where appropriate. Importantly, more research is needed to understand how individuals transition from recreational to problematic use, as well as maintenance factors. As such, the use of psychometrically sound measures of motives for cannabis use is necessary, particularly in populations of individuals with anxiety and related disorders (ARDs), where there is a high rate of cannabis use.

We examined the factor structure of the Marijuana Motives Measure (MMM) to confirm its structural validity in a clinical sample. Treatment-seeking adults from an outpatient anxiety clinic in Canada (N = 253) completed the MMM and several symptom questionnaires.

Confirmatory factor analysis exhibited strong fit indices and good internal consistency across subscales ranging from .88-.93. Significant positive correlations were observed amongst most subscale pairs, the highest between expansion and coping (cor = 0.78). Scores on a measure of cannabis use disorder symptoms showed the strongest association with the coping subscale (τ = 0.54).

The MMM demonstrated structural and convergent validity in this sample, adding evidence supporting its use in an adult, treatment-seeking population with ARDs.