From alcohol to cannabis: a replication and extension study on the relationships between perceived efficacy, social norms, and use of protective behavioral strategies among cannabis-using young adults

Although Protective Behavioral Strategies (PBS) are effective in mitigating substance use and its associated consequences, research on the determinants of PBS use is limited. A previous study in the context of alcohol use demonstrated that both perceived descriptive norms (i.e., the frequency with which peers use PBS) and the perceived efficacy of PBS in reducing alcohol-related harms are prospectively linked to personal PBS use. Additionally, it found that descriptive norms were prospectively associated with personal PBS use both directly and indirectly through perceived efficacy. This study aims to replicate these findings in the context of cannabis use, using a similar design with baseline and 3-month follow-up data from 462 young adults (ages 18-25, Mean age = 20.98; SD = 2.14; 61.3% male). We also explore how sex and university status moderate the relationships between cannabis PBS descriptive norms and personal PBS use. Consistent with the replicated study, our results show that the relationship between descriptive norms for cannabis PBS and personal PBS use is partially mediated by the perceived efficacy of PBS. Furthermore, our moderated mediation analysis reveals that the impact of perceived norms on personal PBS use is stronger for men than for women. These findings underscore the potential of normative interventions to promote cannabis PBS use. These interventions would not only impact personal PBS use directly but also through the modification of young adults´ beliefs about the effectiveness of PBS in reducing cannabis-related negative harms.