A Comparison of Motivations for Marijuana Use in HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative Adults

Towe, Sheri L.; Horton, Olivia E.; Martin, Bianca; Meade, Christina S.

doi:10.1007/s10461-018-2123-4

Cited by 15 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 34 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Despite research pointing to high rates of daily cannabis use among HIV+ YMSM, relatively little research has examined the different motives for cannabis use within this population. Although previous research on cannabis motives has assumed a recreational taxonomy of use (Simons et al 1996;Zvolensky et al 2007), emergent findings comparing HIV-positive and HIV-negative adult users have found that PLWH are less likely to report recreational motives as their primary reason for current cannabis use (Towe et al 2018). In the same study, among persons who selected medical use as their primary reason for using cannabis, PLWH scored significantly higher than HIV-negative users on social and expansion motives.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ethnographic research has divided recreational cannabis adult users into two groups: those that use to enhance relaxation and those that use also to enhance concentration (Osborne & Fogel 2008). Recent findings have reported adults living with HIV using cannabis for mental health and socialization and expansion motives in tandem with medical use and symptom management (Towe et al 2018). The degree to which recreational motives, such as enhancement, expansion, or socialization, may align or map onto medically-oriented motives for cannabis use among HIV+ YMSM has not been previously reported.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Medical, therapeutic, and recreational use of cannabis among young men who have sex with men living with HIV

Bruce

Bouris

Bowers

et al. 2019

Addiction Research & Theory

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Cannabis plays a role in symptoms management in HIV, especially the alleviation of pain and nausea and stimulation of appetite, and prevalence of cannabis use in HIV-positive populations exceeds that of the general U.S. population. Previous research has described an "overlap" between medical and recreational cannabis use among persons living with HIV. To understand better the motives associated cannabis use among young men who have sex with men living with HIV (HIV + YMSM), we conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 HIV+YMSM in Denver and Chicago. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded by a diverse team of analysts. In addition to findings that mapped onto previously identified medical motives and recreational motives, we identified several themes that straddled medical and recreational use in a domain we describe as therapeutic. Themes identified in this therapeutic domain of cannabis use include (a) enhanced introspection among individuals that promotes psychological adjustment to an HIV diagnosis, improved medical management, and future orientation; (b) reflection processes that mitigate interpersonal conflict and improve interpersonal communication; and (c) a socialtherapeutic phenomena of cannabis use among young persons with living HIV that is characterized by both enhanced introspection and improved interpersonal communication. Our findings suggest a spectrum of cannabis use among HIV+ YMSM that may be characterized not only by an overlap between medical and recreational use, but also by a distinct therapeutic domain that incorporates stress alleviation and cognitive expansion processes to improve focus on HIV management and self-care.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Medical, therapeutic, and recreational use of cannabis among young men who have sex with men living with HIV

Bruce

Bouris

Bowers

et al. 2019

Addiction Research & Theory

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…As psychoactive substance use is highly prevalent in HIV-HCV co-infected patients [12][13][14][15], we may expect HCV cure to impact substance use behavior. The benefits of cannabis and cannabinoid use for HIV infection management and less severe treatment side-effects, are widely recognized [16,17], and PLWH frequently report their therapeutic use [18][19][20][21][22]. However, cannabis use may also promote pulmonary disease [23] and cognitive impairments in PLWH [24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

HCV cure: an appropriate moment to reduce cannabis use in people living with HIV? (ANRS CO13 HEPAVIH data)

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Thanks to direct-acting antivirals, hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can be cured, with similar rates in HCV-infected and HIV–HCV co-infected patients. HCV cure is likely to foster behavioral changes in psychoactive substance use, which is highly prevalent in people living with HIV (PLWH). Cannabis is one substance that is very commonly used by PLWH, sometimes for therapeutic purposes. We aimed to identify correlates of cannabis use reduction following HCV cure in HIV–HCV co-infected cannabis users and to characterize persons who reduced their use. Methods We used data collected on HCV-cured cannabis users in a cross-sectional survey nested in the ANRS CO13 HEPAVIH cohort of HIV–HCV co-infected patients, to perform logistic regression, with post-HCV cure cannabis reduction as the outcome, and socio-behavioral characteristics as potential correlates. We also characterized the study sample by comparing post-cure substance use behaviors between those who reduced their cannabis use and those who did not. Results Among 140 HIV-infected cannabis users, 50 and 5 had reduced and increased their use, respectively, while 85 had not changed their use since HCV cure. Cannabis use reduction was significantly associated with tobacco use reduction, a decrease in fatigue level, paying more attention to one’s dietary habits since HCV cure, and pre-HCV cure alcohol abstinence (p = 0.063 for alcohol use reduction). Conclusions Among PLWH using cannabis, post-HCV cure cannabis reduction was associated with tobacco use reduction, improved well-being, and adoption of healthy behaviors. The management of addictive behaviors should therefore be encouraged during HCV treatment.

show abstract

“…The other half used community samples, but generally young adults in the early- to mid-twenties. Only 2 studies reported an average age of 30 or older 22 , 23 and both recruited from specialized locations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Getting High or Getting By? An Examination of Cannabis Motives, Cannabis Misuse, and Concurrent Psychopathology in a Sample of General Community Adults

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

OBJECTIVE: Few studies have examined cannabis motives in adults and, although associations between cannabis use and psychiatric conditions are well documented, there has been limited investigation of the intersection of cannabis use, cannabis motives, and psychopathology. In a sample of community adults, the present study examined cannabis motives in relation to cannabis misuse, and investigated whether motives linked cannabis misuse with concurrent psychiatric symptoms. METHOD: Participants (N = 395; Mage = 34.8; %F = 47.6; % White = 81.3%) completed assessments related to cannabis misuse, cannabis use motives, and symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and somatic experiences. Bivariate correlations, hierarchical regressions, and indirect effect analyses were performed to examine associations between motives and cannabis misuse and to investigate mechanistic relationships between psychiatric symptoms and cannabis misuse. RESULTS: Regressions revealed significant associations between cannabis misuse and social (β = .13, P < .02), enhancement (β = .12, P < .02), and coping motives (β = .48, P < .001). Indirect effects were present such that coping motives consistently linked psychiatric and somatic symptoms with cannabis misuse (anxiety: unstandardized effect = 0.26,and 95% CI = 0.17-0.37; depression: unstandardized effect = 0.12, CI = 0.11-0.25; PTSD: unstandardized effect = 0.07, CI = 0.04-0.10; somatic symptoms: unstandardized effect = 0.20, CI = 0.11-0.30). In addition, enhancement motives exhibited an indirect effect (unstandardized effect = 0.02, CI = 0.002-0.04) between depressive symptoms and cannabis misuse. CONCLUSION: These results support a negative reinforcement motivational profile as the predominant pattern in adult cannabis users, albeit with links to enhancement and social motives. This motivational profile is especially pronounced with regard to comorbid psychopathology and cannabis misuse. These results support the importance of treatment strategies targeting maladaptive coping to address cannabis misuse and co-occurring psychopathology.

show abstract

A Comparison of Motivations for Marijuana Use in HIV-Positive and HIV-Negative Adults

Cited by 15 publications

References 34 publications

Medical, therapeutic, and recreational use of cannabis among young men who have sex with men living with HIV

Medical, therapeutic, and recreational use of cannabis among young men who have sex with men living with HIV

HCV cure: an appropriate moment to reduce cannabis use in people living with HIV? (ANRS CO13 HEPAVIH data)

Getting High or Getting By? An Examination of Cannabis Motives, Cannabis Misuse, and Concurrent Psychopathology in a Sample of General Community Adults

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About