Personality Factors in Marihuana Use

Clinical observation of marihuana users have suggested that there are personality characteristics that are correlated with regular marihuana vse. This study investigates the relationship of some personality factors to extent of marihuana use in young college students. Four groups of marihuana users differing in extent of use (from less than on\[ill\] per month to almost every day) were compared with two control groups on four MMPI scales, a risk-taking propensity scale, a stimulus-seeking scale, nine specially constructed items, and a number of demographic variables. More frequent use of marihuana was significantly related to higher scores on the stimulusseeking scale, on the MMPI psychopathic Deviant Scale and to "true" responses to the items, "a person should not be punished for breaking a law that he thinks is unreasonable" and "as long as I can remember, I have had more emotional problems than other people." Regular use of marihuana was no support in this sample of young functioning college students for hypotheses about impaired parental identification, goal-orientation, or the role of religion.