Self-Image and Legal Concerns Were the Strongest Motivations Protecting Against Cannabis Relapse | Research

The takeaway

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.

Read this if you are thinking about quitting cannabis and want to understand what motivations work best.

Legal and social acceptability concerns slowed relapse rate by 12-17%

What the researchers 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.

Why it 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 numbers in context

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 the study worked

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.

What this study cannot 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.

How to read the evidence

Large sample with appropriate statistical methods, but cross-sectional with retrospective recall.

When this study was published

Published in 2013. As cannabis legalization spreads, the role of legal concerns as a cessation motivator may be changing.

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.

Questions still open

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?

Common 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 the original research

Motivations to quit cannabis use in an adult non-treatment sample: are they related to relapse?

Addictive behaviors, 38(9), 2422-7

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

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