Cannabis Use Among Black Young Adults: The Interactive Effects Of Ethnic-Racial Identity, Anxiety, And Sex

Background Black Americans who use cannabis exhibit poorer cannabis-related outcomes than other groups, highlighting a need to identify psycho-sociocultural factors related to their use. Although ethnic-racial identity (ERI) is related to less cannabis use, this is the first known test of whether anxiety sensitivity (AS) or negative affect (depression, anxiety) impacts these relations. Methods Participants were 101 Black undergraduates that endorsed current (past-month) cannabis use and completed a series of online survey measures. Results Among men, ERI was related to cannabis use frequency at lower but not higher levels of AS, whereas ERI was unrelated to cannabis use frequency at any level among women. A similar pattern was observed for social anxiety and panic, but not depression. Conclusions These findings extend prior research on the protective effects of ERI on cannabis use among Black individuals by highlighting the interactive nature of psycho-sociocultural factors in cannabis-related behaviors among Black individuals. Findings suggest that ERI\u27s protective influence may no longer be evident at higher levels of anxiety and anxiety-related constructs (AS), especially among men