dc.title: Peer cannabis vaping, social acceptability, and social motives as predictors of cannabis vaping among Texas college students dc.description.abstract: Cannabis vaping has emerged as a prevalent mode of consumption among college students, yet little is known about why young adults with more peers who use cannabis are at greater risk. Guided by Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), this study determined if more positive cannabis social acceptability beliefs and cannabis social motives mediated the association between peer cannabis vaping and past 30-day cannabis use. Cross-sectional data were collected from 10,193 Texas college students aged 18-25 (M=20.23, SD=1.78; 61.5% female, 84.4% at four-year institutions) via an online survey in Spring 2025. Structural equation modeling tested direct and indirect pathways from peer cannabis vaping to past 30-day cannabis vaping through positive cannabis social acceptability and social motive beliefs. Models controlled for sex, race/ethnicity, institution type, and past 30-day non-vaped cannabis and tobacco use. Peer cannabis vaping was positively associated with social acceptability beliefs (β=.36, p<.01) but not social motives (β=.03, ns). Social acceptability (β=.25, p<.01) and social motives (β=.19, p<.01) were both positively associated with past 30-day cannabis vaping. The direct path from peer vaping to individual vaping remained significant (β=.14, p<.01). Social acceptability emerged as a significant mediator; however, the proposed sequential mediation pathway through social motives was not supported. Social acceptability of cannabis vaping mediates the relationship between peer and individual cannabis vaping among college students, while social motives independently predict use. As cannabis products continue to become readily available and the prevalence of cannabis use increases, addressing the role of peers and the mechanisms that explain why peer cannabis behavior is associated with cannabis use in young adulthood will be crucial to preventing cannabis use in this age group.