Marijuana: its meaning to a high school population.

The present study investigated the meaning of the concept of marijuana as measured by both a semantic differential rating scale and a questionnaire. The responses of 100 male and female high school students (50 users, 50 nonusers) indicated that marijuana usage was primarily related to the pleasure of the high, while abstinence was associated with potential harmfulness of the drug to health and practical situational factors. The general response profile corresponded closely to that of a parallel college sample reported in an earlier study by LaDriere and Szczepkowski, suggesting that neither age and educational level nor sex constituted meaningful variables in drug use motivation. Finally the hypothesis that motivational factors specifically associated with adolescent dynamics--including needs for independence, social acceptance, and adventure--might influence the data of the high school sample was not confirmed.