Examining Impulsivity’s Effect on Enhancement Motives for Cannabis Use in College Students

Trends in cannabis use among young adults, particularly college students, have increased in recent years, raising concern given the negative outcomes associated with frequent use. Although men have historically reported higher rates of cannabis use, recent research suggests that gender differences are narrowing, prompting questions about the mechanisms underlying remaining disparities. The Motivational Model of Substance Use provides a useful framework for understanding these patterns, particularly through enhancement motives, which reflect using cannabis to increase positive affect. Given the established association between impulsivity and substance use, it is also important to examine whether impulsivity and enhancement motives interact in predicting cannabis use and whether these relationships differ by gender. The present cross-sectional study examined a sample of college students who completed self-report measures assessing impulsivity, endorsement of enhancement motives, and frequency of cannabis use. Results indicated that (a) impulsivity was significantly associated with cannabis use, and this relationship was more pronounced among college men, (b) enhancement motives were significantly associated with cannabis use, and this relationship was also more pronounced among college men, (c) when enhancement motives were included in the model, the associations between both impulsivity and gender with cannabis use were no longer significant, and (d) the effect of enhancement motives on cannabis use did not depend on levels of impulsivity.