How Cannabis Use Motives Shift as Problems Get Worse | Research

The takeaway

A daily diary study found that people with more severe cannabis problems use longer when anxious (coping motive), but positive reinforcement — using to enhance good feelings — also persists even in problematic users, contradicting standard addiction models.

Cannabis users noticing problematic patterns, addiction counselors, clinical psychologists, and substance use researchers.

What the researchers found

Elevated anxious affect was associated with coping motives and longer intoxication, but only among those with more severe cannabis use problems. Positive affect predicted enhancement motives across the full sample, with this association stronger for those with fewer problems. However, positive reinforcement continued in those with more severe problems, contradicting the multistage model that predicts negative reinforcement dominates.

Why it matters

The standard addiction model says negative reinforcement (using to escape bad feelings) takes over as addiction worsens. This study shows that's only partly true for cannabis — people with problems do use to cope more when anxious, but they also continue seeking enhancement, suggesting treatment needs to address both motivations.

The numbers in context

571 participants. 14 days, 2x daily. Anxiety → coping motives + longer intoxication: only in more severe CU problems. Positive affect → enhancement motives: full sample, stronger in fewer problems. Positive reinforcement persists in more severe problems. Many associations not moderated by severity.

How the study worked

EMA study with 571 young adult females (77.6% sexual minority/gender diverse) who regularly used cannabis. Two observations per day for 14 days. Tested whether cannabis use problem severity moderated associations between affect, motives, intoxication duration, and consequences.

What this study cannot tell us

Same sample as 08243 — predominantly sexual minority women/gender diverse. 14-day window. Self-reported motives may not reflect actual processes. Cannabis use problems assessed at baseline only. Can't establish temporal ordering within same-survey reports.

How to read the evidence

Intensive longitudinal design with theoretical testing, though specific sample demographics limit generalizability.

When this study was published

Published in 2026, testing and partially refuting a major theoretical model of addiction progression.

The bigger picture

This challenges a clean progression from 'using for fun' to 'using to escape.' In reality, both motivations coexist even in people with cannabis problems, which means treatment approaches focusing only on coping skills for negative emotions miss the enhancement component.

Questions still open

Should treatment address enhancement motives even in problematic users? Does the dual-motive pattern differ by gender or sexual orientation? Would providing alternative pleasurable activities reduce enhancement-motivated use?

Common questions

Do people with cannabis problems only use to cope?

No — this study found that while anxiety does drive coping-motivated use in people with more problems, enhancement motives (using for enjoyment) also persist. Addiction isn't a simple switch from pleasure to escape.

What does this mean for treatment?

Treatment approaches that only focus on managing negative emotions and developing alternative coping skills may miss the mark. People with cannabis problems also need to address the pleasurable aspects of use and find alternative sources of positive experience.

Read the original research

Affect, Motives for Cannabis Use, Duration of Intoxication, and Cannabis Consequences: Cannabis Use Problem Severity as a Potential Moderator.

Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Dyar, Christina; Curtis, Julia; Green, Elise; Hales, Emily D S; Rhew, Isaac C; Kaysen, Debra; Lee, Christine M. (2026). Affect, Motives for Cannabis Use, Duration of Intoxication, and Cannabis Consequences: Cannabis Use Problem Severity as a Potential Moderator.. Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs. https://doi.org/10.15288/jsad.25-00314