Dutch and Spanish cannabis motives questionnaire shows cross-cultural validity

BACKGROUND: Understanding the motivational pathways underlying cannabis use across cultural contexts is essential for advancing clinical assessment and theoretical models of substance use motivation. The Comprehensive Cannabis Motives Questionnaire (CCMQ) captures a range of cannabis use motives. This study validated Dutch and Spanish translations and examined their psychometric properties. METHODS: Following forward and back-translation, cannabis users in the Netherlands (N = 200) and Spain (N = 209) completed the CCMQ and the Cannabis Use Disorders Identification Test-Revised (CUDIT-R). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) assessed model fit per translation, and multi-group testing examined configural, metric, scalar, and strict invariance across language, country, and sex. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and correlations tested predictive validity for CUDIT-R scores. RESULTS: CFA supported the original eight-factor structure in both samples. After removing a Food item and two low-variance Conformity items from the Dutch translation, a 38-item instrument supported strict invariance across English, Dutch, and Spanish groups; sex comparisons used 40 items (CCMQ2 removed) and English/Spanish-only comparisons retained the full 41-item instrument. SEM and correlations examined associations between CCMQ subscales and CUDIT-R scores. CONCLUSION: The Dutch and Spanish CCMQ versions demonstrated strong psychometric properties and cross-cultural validity. Findings highlight the importance of culturally nuanced interpretation of motivational constructs.