The Marijuana Ladder (ML)

Author of Tool: 

James D. Slavet, L.A.R. Stein, Suzanne M. Colby, Nancy P. Barnett, Peter M. Monti, Charles Golembeske, Jr., and Rebecca Lebeau-Craven

Key references: 

Slavet, J., Stein, L. A. R., Colby, S., Barnett, N., Monti, P., Golembeske, C., & Lebeau-Craven, R. (2006). The Marijuana Ladder: Measuring motivation to change marijuana use in incarcerated adolescents. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 83, 42-48. PMCID: PMC2754131

Primary use / Purpose: 

The Marijuana Ladder (ML) was adapted from the the Contemplation Ladder (CL; Biener & Abrams, 1991) to measure motivation to change marijuana use among incarcerated youths. The Marijuana Ladder is a visual analog scale that consists of 10 rungs, each of which is accompanied by a associated statement such as “I enjoy using marijuana and have decided never to change it. I have no interest in changing the way that I use marijuana”. The ML instrument is relevant for incarcerated juveniles with no current access to marijuana.

Background: 

The use of marijuana among incarcerated adolescents is well-documented. The Marijuana Ladder (ML) allows juvenile justice personnel and clinicians to assess and identify youths who are motivated to change their marijuana use. This brief and easily-administered tool allows treatment provides to study motivation to change and further inform their intervention approach and discharge planning.

Psychometrics: 

Psychometric characteristics of the ML are given in Slavet et al. (2006).

Keywords: 

• Anxiety
• Family

Files: 

Marijuana Ladder

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): 

https://dx.doi.org/10.13072/midss.242