A Cannabis Cessation App Revealed Distinct User Profiles With Different Motivations and Readiness to Quit | Research

The takeaway

Cluster analysis of users of the 'Stop-Cannabis' mobile app identified distinct subgroups based on their motivations for use and readiness to change, with coping-motivated users showing the most problematic patterns — information that could help personalize digital interventions.

Digital health developers, addiction counselors, and cannabis users considering cessation apps.

What the researchers found

Analysis of Stop-Cannabis app profiles revealed distinct subgroups based on cannabis use motives and readiness to change. Coping-motivated users showed higher rates of problematic use, while recreationally-motivated users showed different patterns of readiness to change. Subgroups differed in their levels of problematic use and engagement with the app.

Why it matters

Digital interventions for cannabis use are growing, but one-size-fits-all approaches may miss the mark. Identifying distinct user profiles allows apps to tailor content — coping-motivated users may need mental health support, while recreational users may respond better to motivational approaches.

The numbers in context

App: Stop-Cannabis (University of Geneva, Switzerland). Profiles analyzed by motives for use and readiness to change. Coping-motivated subgroup had highest problematic use. Distinct clusters emerged with different intervention needs.

How the study worked

Cluster analysis of user profiles from the Stop-Cannabis mobile app (Institute of Global Health, University of Geneva). Motives for cannabis use and readiness to change were used as clustering variables, with problematic use explored as an outcome across subgroups.

What this study cannot tell us

App users are self-selected and may not represent all cannabis users. Cross-sectional — cannot track whether app use led to behavior change. Cluster analysis is exploratory. Specific to one app in a Swiss/French-speaking context.

How to read the evidence

Exploratory cluster analysis of a digital health tool, providing useful profile information but limited by self-selection and cross-sectional design.

When this study was published

Published 2025.

The bigger picture

Mobile health interventions reach people who might never visit a clinic. By understanding who downloads cannabis cessation apps and why they use cannabis, developers can create more effective, personalized digital tools for the millions of people who want to change their relationship with cannabis.

Questions still open

Would personalized app content based on use motives improve cessation outcomes? Could AI-driven apps adapt in real-time to user profiles? How do cannabis cessation app users compare to those seeking in-person treatment?

Common questions

Do cannabis cessation apps work?

This study examined who uses the app and their motivations, not whether the app reduces use. The distinct profiles suggest that personalizing app content to the user's reasons for cannabis use could improve effectiveness.

Does why you use cannabis matter for quitting?

Yes — people who use cannabis to cope with emotional distress showed more problematic use patterns than recreational users. This suggests coping-motivated users may need additional mental health support alongside cessation tools.

Read the original research

Motives for Cannabis Use and Readiness to Change Among Users of the "Stop-Cannabis" Mobile App: Cluster Analysis.

JMIR formative research, 9, e70849

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Wegener, Milena; Rothen, Stéphane; Dan-Glauser, Elise; Lecomte, Tania; Potvin, Stéphane; Rochat, Lucien; Sjöblom, Marissa; Vera Cruz, Germano; Etter, Jean-François; Khazaal, Yasser. (2025). Motives for Cannabis Use and Readiness to Change Among Users of the "Stop-Cannabis" Mobile App: Cluster Analysis.. JMIR formative research, 9, e70849. https://doi.org/10.2196/70849