How Much Veterans Value Cannabis Predicted Future Use, and Vice Versa | Research

The takeaway

In 133 veterans who use cannabis, the perceived value of cannabis (measured by willingness to pay) and actual use were bidirectionally linked over 6 months, with use more strongly predicting increased demand than demand predicting increased use.

Researchers studying cannabis use patterns and clinicians developing treatment approaches

Bidirectional over 6 months

What the researchers found

Baseline cannabis use predicted greater cannabis demand intensity, maximum expenditure, and other demand indices at 6 months. Conversely, baseline demand intensity, breakpoint, and price sensitivity predicted greater use at 6 months. The pathway from use to demand was consistently stronger than from demand to use, suggesting use itself drives perceived value more than perceived value drives use.

Why it matters

Understanding the cyclical relationship between how much people value cannabis and how much they use it can inform treatment. If use drives demand more than demand drives use, reducing consumption even temporarily might reduce the perceived value and make sustained reduction easier.

The numbers in context

133 veterans; 6-month follow-up; use predicted intensity (β=0.32), Omax (β=0.37); intensity predicted use (β=0.14); breakpoint predicted use (β=0.12); use-to-demand pathway consistently stronger

How the study worked

Two-wave longitudinal study of 133 veterans reporting past 6-month cannabis use. Cannabis demand assessed via hypothetical marijuana purchase task. Autoregressive cross-lagged panel models examined bidirectional relationships between demand indices and use over 6 months.

What this study cannot tell us

Veteran sample may not represent general cannabis users. Two time points limit causal inference. Hypothetical purchase task may not reflect real-world spending. Only intensity showed acceptable test-retest reliability.

How to read the evidence

Longitudinal design with validated behavioral economic measures, but small veteran sample with only two time points

When this study was published

2023 study

The bigger picture

Behavioral economic measures like cannabis demand are gaining traction as treatment targets. This longitudinal evidence showing use and demand reinforce each other supports interventions that break this cycle at either point.

Questions still open

Would treatment-induced reductions in use lead to corresponding decreases in demand? Are demand measures useful as treatment outcome indicators? Do demand patterns differ between medical and recreational users?

Common questions

Does using more cannabis make you want it more?

This study suggests yes. Cannabis use predicted increased demand (perceived value) over 6 months more strongly than demand predicted use, suggesting a self-reinforcing cycle.

Could reducing use make it easier to keep reducing?

The findings suggest this is possible. Since use drives demand more than the reverse, cutting back on use might naturally reduce how much a person values cannabis, making sustained reduction easier.

Read the original research

Cannabis demand and use among veterans: A prospective examination.

Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors, 37(8), 985-995

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Aston, Elizabeth R; Meshesha, Lidia Z; Stevens, Angela K; Borsari, Brian; Metrik, Jane. (2023). Cannabis demand and use among veterans: A prospective examination.. Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors, 37(8), 985-995. https://doi.org/10.1037/adb0000916