Turning On, Turning Off, and Relapse: Social Psychological Determinants of Status Change in Cannabis Use

Abstract

A longitudinal study of college students identified groups of nonusers who began cannabis use, users who discontinued use, and former users who returned to use. A social psychological system of personality, personal functions, and perceived social environment variables is described as a use-prone syndrome in differentiating stable users from nonusers. Univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrate subsets of predictor and change scores in these variables which differentiate initiates and return to use from their respective no-change groups toward the use-prone pattern, while those who stopped use are differentiated from continued users in the opposite direction. Consistencies and differences in social psychological configurations for the three transitions are discussed.