Predictors of motives for marijuana use in African American adolescents and emerging adults

African American adolescents use marijuana at higher rates and may be more vulnerable to psychosocial risk factors for marijuana use, including depression, post-traumatic stress, and having substance-using peers, compared to Caucasian adolescents. Little is known about how these factors contribute to African American adolescents' motives for marijuana use. This study examined the roles of depressive and post-traumatic stress symptoms and substance-using peers on marijuana use motives among African American adolescents and emerging adults and whether these motives predicted marijuana use. Findings suggest that identifying motives for marijuana use may help improve approaches to reduce use among this population.