Microaggressions and Cannabis-Related Problems Among Black Adults: The Roles of Negative Affect and Cannabis Use Motives

BackgroundBlack adults who use cannabis appear at risk for poor cannabis-related outcomes, indicating a need to identify psycho-sociocultural factors related to cannabis use and related problems. This study tested whether race-based microaggressions are related to use-related problems and whether specific types of negative affect (depression, anxiety, stress) and/or high-risk use motives play a role in this relationship.MethodsParticipants were 125 (78.4% female) Black undergraduates who endorsed current cannabis use and completed an online survey.ResultsMicroaggressions were significantly related to cannabis use-related problems, depression, anxiety, stress, and coping and conformity cannabis use motives. Microaggressions remained significantly related to cannabis problems after controlling for overt discrimination, non-racist stressful life events, and cannabis use frequency. Microaggressions were indirectly related to cannabis use-related problems via the serial effects of negative affect (anxiety, depression, stress) and coping motives and via singular effects of anxiety and stress (but not the serial effects of negative affect and conformity motives).ConclusionsRace-based microaggressions are robustly related to more cannabis-related problems and negative affect and cannabis use to manage that affect may play important roles in that relation. Results can inform theoretical models and intervention efforts geared toward reducing risky cannabis use in this health disparities group.