Initial development and validation of a brief assessment of marijuana demand among young adult college students.

Abstract

Hypothetical purchase tasks assess substance demand, but the length of purchase tasks makes repeated assessment of state-dependent changes in demand difficult, often limiting clinical utility. Although brief assessments of alcohol and cigarette demand exist, brief measures of cannabis demand do not. College students (N = 209, M age = 19.92, SD = 1.45; 63% female; 56.9% non-Hispanic Caucasian) who reported using cannabis at least 3 days in the past month, completed an online survey including the full-length marijuana purchase task (MPT), a three-item brief assessment of marijuana demand (BAMD) assessing intensity, O max and breakpoint, and cannabis use outcomes. Convergent and divergent validity were examined. Independent samples t tests compared demand on the BAMD and MPT based on presence or absence of cannabis use disorder (CUD) symptoms, and one-way between-subject analyses of variance compared effects of CUD severity (mild/moderate/severe) on BAMD indices. All indices were significantly correlated across both assessment measures ( ps < .01). Similarly, all indices on both demand measures were significantly correlated with craving, CUD severity, and cannabis-related consequences ( ps < .01); whereas only intensity and O max were significantly correlated with cannabis use frequency ( ps < .01). Individuals with (vs. without) CUD symptoms reported significantly greater intensity and O max ( ps < .01) and significant differences in CUD severity on BAMD indices were found as well ( ps < .05). The BAMD demonstrated convergent and divergent validity with the MPT. Findings suggest that brief cannabis demand can be easily assessed as an indicator for high-risk cannabis use. Thus, the BAMD may be a useful and clinically relevant tool to assess cannabis demand in real-world settings. Public Health SignificanceThis study demonstrated that a brief assessment of marijuana demand (BAMD) differentiated individuals based on presence or absence of cannabis use disorder symptoms. The BAMD was significantly associated with corresponding demand indices on the marijuana purchase task and is a useful tool to assess cannabis demand in clinical and real-world settings. This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.