Cannabis Use Happens Most at Home, at Neutral Moods, and When Craving Hits | Research

The takeaway

Real-time monitoring of 36 young adults found cannabis use was most likely at home, during neutral moods, when experiencing cravings, and with fewer people around.

Addiction therapists, young adult cannabis users interested in their use patterns, behavioral intervention researchers.

Home use: 97% more likely (aOR 1.97)

What the researchers found

Using ecological momentary assessment over 30 days with 36 young adults, cannabis use was more likely at neutral affect (aOR 0.95) and neutral arousal (aOR 1.52), higher craving (aOR 1.52), and during substance intoxication (aOR 1.25). External factors: use was more likely at home (aOR 1.97), less likely where smoking was forbidden (aOR 0.46), and less likely with more people present (aOR 0.91 per person).

Why it matters

Understanding when and why people use cannabis in real time is crucial for developing effective interventions. The finding that cannabis use occurs at neutral rather than negative emotional states challenges the self-medication narrative and suggests habitual or routine use patterns may be more important drivers than emotional coping.

The numbers in context

36 participants. 30-day monitoring period. 1,632 prompts completed. Home use: aOR 1.97. Forbidden places: aOR 0.46. Per additional person present: aOR 0.91. Craving: aOR 1.52. Mean age 24.2.

How the study worked

Ecological Momentary Assessment study with 36 young adults (mean age 24.2, 33% female, 61% sexual minority, 44% non-Hispanic White) who regularly used both cannabis and tobacco. Participants completed multiple daily surveys over 30 days (1,632 total prompts). Generalized estimating equations estimated associations between momentary antecedents and cannabis use.

What this study cannot tell us

Small sample (N=36). Participants used both cannabis and tobacco, limiting generalizability. Self-reported momentary data may be subject to reporting bias. Mostly sexual minority participants (61%). 30-day window may not capture seasonal or other temporal patterns.

How to read the evidence

Preliminary: innovative methodology but very small sample (N=36) with specific demographic characteristics limiting generalizability.

When this study was published

2025 study

The bigger picture

Much addiction theory assumes people use substances to cope with negative emotions. This study's finding that cannabis use occurs primarily at neutral moods rather than during distress suggests daily cannabis use may be more habitual than emotionally driven, which has different implications for treatment approaches.

Questions still open

Would environmental interventions (making more spaces cannabis-free) reduce use more effectively than emotional coping skills? Does the neutral-mood finding generalize to cannabis-only users? Could disrupting habitual home-use patterns be a treatment strategy?

Common questions

When are people most likely to use cannabis?

This real-time monitoring study found cannabis use was most likely at home, during neutral (not negative) moods, when experiencing cravings, and when fewer other people were present.

Do people use cannabis to cope with negative emotions?

Contrary to common assumptions, this study found cannabis use was more likely during neutral rather than negative emotional states, suggesting habitual or routine use patterns may drive daily consumption more than emotional coping.

Read the original research

Real-time antecedents of cannabis use among young adults: An Ecological Momentary Assessment study.

Experimental and clinical psychopharmacology, 33(4), 396-406

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Regan, Timothy; Devkota, Janardan; McQuoid, Julia; Lopez-Paguyo, Kekoa; Nguyen, Nhung; Meacham, Meredith C; Ling, Pamela M; Thrul, Johannes. (2025). Real-time antecedents of cannabis use among young adults: An Ecological Momentary Assessment study.. Experimental and clinical psychopharmacology, 33(4), 396-406. https://doi.org/10.1037/pha0000775