Self-Image and Legal Concerns Were the Strongest Motivations Protecting Against Cannabis Relapse
Among 385 adults who made serious quit attempts without treatment, motivations related to self-image, health, relationships, and social acceptability predicted remaining abstinent, while legal and social acceptability concerns specifically slowed the pace of relapse.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Researchers surveyed 385 non-treatment-seeking cannabis users who had made serious self-guided quit attempts. Six motivational factors emerged: self-image/self-control, health concerns, interpersonal relationships, legal concerns, social acceptability, and self-efficacy.
At interview, 339 had relapsed. Self-image, health, relationship, and social acceptability motivations were associated with being abstinent. Legal concerns (hazard ratio 0.88) and social acceptability concerns (HR 0.83) were associated with slower relapse. Women were more motivated by self-image, health, and social acceptability than men. Older individuals were more motivated by health concerns.
Key Numbers
385 participants, 339 had relapsed at interview. 6 motivational factors identified. Legal concerns: HR 0.88 for relapse. Social acceptability: HR 0.83. Women more motivated by self-image, health, social acceptability. Older users more motivated by health.
How They Did This
Convenience sample of 385 non-treatment-seeking adult cannabis smokers (58% male, ages 16-64). All had made a self-defined "serious" quit attempt without formal treatment. The 176-item Marijuana Quit Questionnaire assessed motivations. Exploratory factor analysis identified motivational factors. Cox regression and GLM evaluated predictors of relapse.
Why This Research Matters
Most cannabis users who quit do so without formal treatment. Understanding what motivates successful self-guided quitting helps design prevention messages and interventions. The finding that internal motivations (self-image) and external pressures (legal, social) both matter suggests multi-pronged approaches may be most effective.
The Bigger Picture
This study mirrors findings from alcohol and tobacco research: multiple motivational factors contribute to quitting, and different demographics respond to different motivations. The similarity across substances suggests common psychological mechanisms underlie substance cessation.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Convenience sample with retrospective recall of quit attempts. The high relapse rate (88%) limits conclusions about successful quitting. Motivations were measured at interview, which may differ from motivations at the time of the quit attempt. Self-defined "serious" quit attempts may vary widely in actual commitment.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would interventions tailored to gender-specific motivations improve quit rates?
- ?Does the legalization of cannabis remove a key motivational factor for quitting?
- ?Could motivation-enhancing interventions shift the balance toward successful cessation?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Legal and social acceptability concerns slowed relapse rate by 12-17%
- Evidence Grade:
- Large sample with appropriate statistical methods, but cross-sectional with retrospective recall.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2013. As cannabis legalization spreads, the role of legal concerns as a cessation motivator may be changing.
- Original Title:
- Motivations to quit cannabis use in an adult non-treatment sample: are they related to relapse?
- Published In:
- Addictive behaviors, 38(9), 2422-7 (2013)
- Authors:
- Chauchard, Emeline(3), Levin, Kenneth H, Copersino, Marc L, Heishman, Stephen J, Gorelick, David A
- Database ID:
- RTHC-00659
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
What motivates people to quit cannabis?
Six key motivations were identified: wanting to improve self-image and self-control, health concerns, relationship concerns, legal worries, social acceptability, and belief in one's ability to quit. Different motivations matter more for different people, with women more driven by self-image and social factors, and older adults by health concerns.
Will legalization make it harder for people to quit?
This study found legal concerns were one of the motivations that slowed relapse. If legalization removes this motivational factor, it could theoretically make quitting harder for some people. However, other motivations like self-image, health, and relationships were also significant and would not be affected by legal changes.
Read More on RethinkTHC
- 30-days-without-weed
- 420-sober-survival-guide
- 6-months-sober-weed-what-to-expect
- 90-days-no-weed
- CBT-cannabis-recovery
- anger-irritability-quitting-weed-withdrawal
- appetite-after-quitting-weed
- benefits-of-quitting-weed
- boredom-after-quitting-weed
- boredom-after-quitting-weed-nothing-fun
- caffeine-weed-withdrawal
- cannabinoid-hyperemesis-syndrome
- cannabis-relapse-cycle-pattern
- cannabis-withdrawal-complete-guide
- cannabis-withdrawal-severity-levels-mild-moderate-severe
- cannabis-withdrawal-syndrome
- cannabis-withdrawal-syndrome-dsm-5
- cannabis-withdrawal-syndrome-timeline-day-by-day
- cannabis-withdrawal-vs-alcohol-nicotine-opioid-comparison
- cold-turkey-vs-taper-quit-weed
- creativity-without-weed-quitting-artist-musician
- dating-sober-after-quitting-weed
- emotional-after-quitting-weed-crying
- exercise-quitting-weed-anxiety-brain
- first-week-quitting-weed
- grieving-quitting-weed-loss
- help-someone-quit-weed
- hobbies-after-quitting-weed
- how-long-does-weed-withdrawal-last
- how-long-to-feel-normal-after-quitting-weed
- how-to-quit-weed
- identity-after-quitting-weed
- journaling-weed-withdrawal
- leaving-stoner-culture-identity
- marijuana-anonymous-SMART-recovery-compare
- marijuana-withdrawal-symptoms
- meditation-mindfulness-weed-withdrawal
- money-saved-quitting-weed-calculator
- night-sweats-quitting-weed-withdrawal
- one-year-sober-weed
- partner-still-smokes-weed
- partner-still-smokes-weed-quitting
- paws-cannabis-post-acute-withdrawal
- pink-cloud-sobriety-cannabis
- quit-weed-cold-turkey
- quit-weed-or-cut-back-which-is-better
- quit-weed-regret-went-back
- quitting-weed-20s
- quitting-weed-30s
- quitting-weed-after-years
- quitting-weed-creativity
- quitting-weed-during-crisis-divorce-job-loss
- quitting-weed-exercise
- quitting-weed-face-changes-skin
- quitting-weed-grief-loss-coping
- quitting-weed-legal-state
- quitting-weed-success-stories
- quitting-weed-triggers-environment
- quitting-weed-weight-loss-gain
- relapsed-smoking-weed-what-to-do
- relapsed-weed
- should-i-quit-weed
- sober-music-festival-concert-without-weed
- supplements-weed-withdrawal
- telling-friends-quitting-weed
- weed-cravings
- weed-depersonalization-derealization
- weed-paws-withdrawal
- weed-relapse-prevention-plan
- weed-relapse-why-it-happens
- weed-ritual-replacement
- weed-ruined-relationships
- weed-social-media-triggers-quit
- weed-withdrawal-anger
- weed-withdrawal-brain-fog
- weed-withdrawal-chest-tightness-heart-palpitations
- weed-withdrawal-crying-emotional
- weed-withdrawal-depression
- weed-withdrawal-headaches
- weed-withdrawal-irritability
- weed-withdrawal-men
- weed-withdrawal-mood-swings
- weed-withdrawal-nausea
- weed-withdrawal-night-sweats
- weed-withdrawal-no-appetite
- weed-withdrawal-sweating-detox
- weed-withdrawal-timeline
- weed-withdrawal-vs-alcohol
- weed-withdrawal-women
- what-happens-when-you-stop-smoking-weed
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-00659APA
Chauchard, Emeline; Levin, Kenneth H; Copersino, Marc L; Heishman, Stephen J; Gorelick, David A. (2013). Motivations to quit cannabis use in an adult non-treatment sample: are they related to relapse?. Addictive behaviors, 38(9), 2422-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2013.04.002
MLA
Chauchard, Emeline, et al. "Motivations to quit cannabis use in an adult non-treatment sample: are they related to relapse?." Addictive behaviors, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2013.04.002
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Motivations to quit cannabis use in an adult non-treatment s..." RTHC-00659. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/chauchard-2013-motivations-to-quit-cannabis
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.