PURPOSE OF REVIEW

There are disproportionately elevated rates of cannabis use and cannabis use disorder (CUD) among sexual and gender minoritized (SGM) individuals. Minority stressors (e.g., victimization, internalized stigma) are a robust predictor of SGM cannabis and related outcomes. The psychological mediation framework posits that changes in coping and emotion regulation, social/interpersonal, cognitive, and SGM group-specific functioning explain associations between minority stress and cannabis outcomes. This systematic review covers the extant literature evaluating the putative mechanisms that link minority stress to cannabis use and related outcomes.

RECENT FINDINGS

Searches were conducted on MEDLINE, Embase, PsycInfo, CINAHL, and Web of Science through November 2023. We identified 12 articles. We sorted mechanisms using categories from the psychological mediation framework. Several studies evaluated coping and emotion regulation mechanisms, with strongest support for cannabis coping motives and preliminary support for depressive symptoms and emotion dysregulation. Few studies evaluated social/interpersonal and cognitive mechanisms, and none found support for these mechanisms. Lastly, there was preliminary support for internalized hetero/cissexism as a group-specific mechanism.

SUMMARY

The findings of this review provide some support for the psychological mediation framework, highlight future directions for research testing this framework, and underscore some targets of intervention related to cannabis use and CUD among SGM individuals.