Exploring the Relationship Between Cannabis Use Motives and Readiness to Change Among Young Adult College Students

annabis use among young adult college students has risen steadily over the past decade, raising concerns about the associated health, academic, and psychological consequences. While cannabis use motives and readiness to change have each been linked to use patterns and outcomes, limited research has examined how these factors interact. The current study investigated whether readiness to change, based on the Transtheoretical Model (TTM), moderates the relationship between cannabis use motives and cannabis-related consequences as well as past-30-day use frequency. A sample of 100 college students 18-25 years old (Mage = 20.08, SD = 2.12; 67% female; 55.0% Black or African American) who reported using cannabis at least twice in the past month and were classified as being in the pre-contemplation or contemplation stages completed self-report measures assessing cannabis use motives, readiness to change, frequency of cannabis use, and cannabis-related consequences. Independent t-tests revealed that individuals in the contemplation stage reported significantly higher cannabis use frequency, greater cannabis-related consequences, and stronger endorsement of most cannabis use motives compared to those in the pre-contemplation stage. However, moderation analyses indicated that stage of change did not significantly moderate the relationships between motives and cannabis outcomes. These findings suggest that although contemplation is associated with higher-risk use and greater perceived harm, readiness to change may not alter how motives relate to use patterns. Results highlight the importance of assessing both motivation for use and readiness to change in intervention planning, particularly for high-risk college students in the contemplation stage.