Adolescent cannabis use - motives, frequency and consequences: a systematic literature review

The legalization of cannabis, increasingly permissive adolescent attitudes towards cannabis, and the level of adolescent use make it important to understand how motives for adolescent cannabis use are linked with frequency of use and negative consequences. This review sought to establish which motives were consistently associated with greater frequency of use and negative consequences for adolescent users through a systematic literature review of existing evidence. Fourteen papers were identified as meeting inclusion criteria, and rated for quality, methodological appropriateness, and focus; 13 were retained in the final synthesis. Relevant excerpts from qualitative studies also supported a synthesis of findings. Motives to use cannabis could be linked to the Incentive Motivation Model of alcohol use and its four dimensions of enhancement, coping, social and conformity. Both positive and negative reinforcement motives based on internal cues were associated with increased frequency of use. Only negative reinforcement motives were associated with negative consequences. Motives not included previously in long-established motivational models may provide an improved understanding of adolescent cannabis use and negative consequences. Specifically, future research should seek to clarify possible links between sleep and coping motives, and the cyclical pattern between cannabis use and negative consequences associated with coping motives.