Attitudes toward marijuana use and drug-free experience: relationships with behavior

Abstract

Attitude toward drug-free experience is conceptualized as a psychological context for drug use that influences the evaluation of perceived consequences of marijuana use. Two studies examined the moderating effect of attitude toward drug-free experience on relationships between attitudes toward marijuana and drug use. In Study 1 (N = 316), attitude toward drug-free experience emerged as a significant moderator. Participants with positive attitudes toward marijuana use and relatively low attitudes toward drug-free experience used marijuana at the highest rates. Study 2 (N = 308) provided a partial replication and extension. In a second sample, a quadratic relationship emerged between drug-free experience and marijuana use. The interaction between the two attitudes approached significance. Among the 47 participants who had used marijuana more than 100 times in their lifetime, attitude toward drug-free experience moderated the relationship between attitude toward marijuana and marijuana-related problems.