Personal strivings and marijuana use initiation, frequency, and problems.

This study examined relations between perceived conflict/utility of marijuana use in achieving valued personal goals and marijuana use initiation, marijuana use frequency, and marijuana-related problems. Personal strivings are higher order goals that may influence marijuana use to the extent that they are congruent or incongruent with use. Participants were 592 young adults who generated lists of personal strivings independent of the substance use assessment. They then evaluated their 10 most important strivings with regard to the perceived conflict/utility of several levels of marijuana use in achieving their most important strivings. Less marijuana use-striving conflict was positively associated with use initiation and frequency. A significant gender interaction emerged in the prediction of use frequency; marijuana use-striving conflict was more strongly associated with use frequency for men than women. The relationship between use-striving conflict and marijuana-related problems was mediated fully by use frequency.