Positive Outcomes of Cannabis Use Scale – POCUS
Measures the perceived positive consequences associated with cannabis use across social, mood, cognitive, and sexual domains.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Positive Outcomes of Cannabis Use Scale – POCUS was developed by Jamie E. Parnes, Mark A. Prince, Bradley T. Conner (2025). It is designed to measure Positive outcomes of cannabis use. The scale is intended for use with Adults (18 years and older).
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 19 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Social Enhancement, Mood Enhancement, Cognitive Enhancement, Sexual Enhancement.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Social Enhancement | 1,6,14,18 | 4 |
| Mood Enhancement | 3,5,8,10,15,19 | 6 |
| Cognitive Enhancement | 2,7,11,13,17 | 5 |
| Sexual Enhancement | 4,9,12,16 | 4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Never, 2 = Rarely, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Often, 5 = Always / Almost Always.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 19 to 95. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low perceived positive outcomes: 19 – 38
- Moderate perceived positive outcomes: 39 – 76
- High perceived positive outcomes: 77 – 95
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of McDonald's Omega: .85 – .87.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.