THE EFFECTS OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CONTROL FACTORS ON COLLEGE-STUDENTS MARIJUANA USE AND CESSATION OF USE

The purpose of this study was to examine how selected internal and ext ernal control variables influence lifetime use, frequency of use, and cessation of use of marijuana. The internal control factor, comprising the variables 1) perceived risk of marijuana use and 2) attitudes tow ard prohibition of marijuana use, refers to a built-in personal tenden cy toward conventionality. The external control factor refers to socia l-environmental forces which discourage marijuana use. External contro l is indicated by factors including the number of extra-curricular act ivities in which an individual is involved; place of residence; the av ailability of marijuana; peer attitudes toward marijuana use; the numb er of an individual's friends who use marijuana; and the number of occ asions on which an individual has observed others using marijuana. The study's results show that both internal and external control factors are significant predictors of the frequency of marijuana use. The exte rnal control factor, however, plays a more important role in explainin g lifetime marijuana use and cessation of marijuana use.