The Imputation of Motives for Marijuana Behavior

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Abstract
The motives imputed to marihuana use and nonuse by both users and nonusers were investigated by means of open-ended questions. Verbal responses were categorized to symbolize typal vocabularies of motive, and these categories were tabulated against behavioral, social, experiential and attitudinal variables. Frequency of marihuana use and favorableness in drug attitude were the key factors that influence the degree to which different vocabular explantations were offered. Current users most often said that personal experience and personal reward were the motives behind use of the drug, and that legal sanctions and psychomedical effects largely accounted for its nonuse. Nonusers with unfavorable attitudes tended to verbalize emotional relief and psychological dependence as the motivations for use, and emotional independent for nonuse. Some of the vocabularies of both of these groups were emphasized by former users and nonusers with favorable attitudes. Interpretations of the data in terms of sociological theories of motives were presented.

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