Building the data infrastructure to evaluate cannabis legalization

Kilmer, Beau; Pacula, Rosalie Liccardo

doi:10.1111/add.13824

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…It can be considered as an alternative or adjunct to traditional survey methods, perhaps most valuable when trying to study cannabis behaviors not captured by traditional methods. In addition, in light of the difficulties in developing data infrastructures for evaluating the effects of cannabis legalization [ 73 ] and literature suggesting that changes to the legal status of cannabis may disproportionately impact the behavior of regular cannabis users [ 74 ], Facebook recruitment methods appear to be valuable for collecting policy-relevant data.…”

Section: Discussion and Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Studying Cannabis Use Behaviors With Facebook and Web Surveys: Methods and Insights

Borodovsky¹,

Marsch²,

Budney³

2018

JMIR Public Health Surveill

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The rapid and wide-reaching expansion of internet access and digital technologies offers epidemiologists numerous opportunities to study health behaviors. One particularly promising new data collection strategy is the use of Facebook’s advertising platform in conjunction with Web-based surveys. Our research team at the Center for Technology and Behavioral Health has used this quick and cost-efficient method to recruit large samples and address unique scientific questions related to cannabis use. In conducting this research, we have gleaned several insights for using this sampling method effectively and have begun to document the characteristics of the resulting data. We believe this information could be useful to other researchers attempting to study cannabis use or, potentially, other health behaviors. The first aim of this paper is to describe case examples of procedures for using Facebook as a survey sampling method for studying cannabis use. We then present several distinctive features of the data produced using this method. Finally, we discuss the utility of this sampling method for addressing specific types of epidemiological research questions. Overall, we believe that sampling with Facebook advertisements and Web surveys is best conceptualized as a targeted, nonprobability-based method for oversampling cannabis users across the United States.

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Section: Discussion and Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Studying Cannabis Use Behaviors With Facebook and Web Surveys: Methods and Insights

Borodovsky¹,

Marsch²,

Budney³

2018

JMIR Public Health Surveill

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Although some states have created medical cannabis patient registration systems, the resulting data fall short of what will be necessary for creating effective regulations. Several researchers have noted that effective monitoring will be impossible unless there is a concerted effort to create new local, state, and federal cannabis data collection systems (Freeman & Swift, 2016; Hoffman, Terashima, McCarty, & Muench, 2017; Kilmer & Pacula, 2017a, 2017b; Lenton & Subritzky, 2017; S. Levy & Weitzman, 2016; Pacula, Kilmer, et al, 2014; van Ours, 2017).…”

Section: Future Directions: Research and Data Infrastructurementioning

confidence: 99%

Cannabis regulatory science: risk–benefit considerations for mental disorders

Borodovsky

Budney²

2018

International Review of Psychiatry

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The evolving legal cannabis landscape in the US continues to present novel regulatory challenges that necessitate the development of a Cannabis Regulatory Science. Two specific issues of concern within Cannabis Regulatory Science are (1) the impact that cannabis use has on the incidence, prevalence, and severity of mental disorders, and (2) how cannabis laws and regulations modify this impact. This paper first provides several conceptual points that are useful for evaluating the relationship between cannabis use and mental disorders. Second, it selectively reviews and comments on data relevant to the relationship between cannabis use and depression, several forms of anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. Next, regulatory and public health parallels between the nascent cannabis industry and the pharmaceutical, tobacco, and alcohol industries are discussed. The focus is on specific types of industry practices that may harm those with or at risk for mental disorders. Recommendations are then offered for legal cannabis regulations that could mitigate this harm. Last, future research goals are discussed for building the field of Cannabis Regulatory Science and addressing the potential negative impact of cannabis on those with mental disorders.

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“…Indeed, recent work has illustrated how the cannabis industry and cannabis enthusiasts already enjoy a strong presence on the Internet on popular social media sites (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), video-sharing sites (YouTube), cannabis resource sites (Leafly), and online communities (e.g., Weedmaps, Reddit) (Bierut, Krauss, Sowles, & Cavazos-Rehg, 2017; Krauss et al, 2017). However, researchers can learn from the information contained on these Internet websites and possibly data disseminated by retailers themselves (Kilmer & Pacula, 2017) to complement national data acquired via traditional epidemiological survey methods (Levy & Weitzman, 2016).…”

Section: Developing a Cannabis Co-use Research Agendamentioning

confidence: 99%

Co-use of cannabis, tobacco, and alcohol during adolescence: policy and regulatory implications

Schlienz

Lee

2018

International Review of Psychiatry

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Legislative reforms have legalized use of cannabis for medical and recreational purposes. Efforts to evaluate the public health impact of these changes have predominantly focused on determining whether liberalizing cannabis policies has increased cannabis use patterns. Co-use of cannabis and other licit substances, namely tobacco and alcohol, is common during the developmental period of adolescence, which is generally characterized by an increase in risk-taking and novelty-seeking. However, limited research has sought to evaluate the potential implications of reforms to medical and recreational cannabis laws on concurrent and simultaneous use of cannabis, tobacco, and alcohol during adolescence. The current report reviews the extant literature detailing the prevalence and outcomes associated with concurrent and simultaneous cannabis-tobacco and cannabis-alcohol use, including recent work that has examined how concurrent and simultaneous use may be influenced by cannabis reform. This review details how the cannabis landscape and cannabis retail marketplace have evolved and briefly summarizes the corresponding policy and regulatory challenges that have emerged. The report concludes with a focused cannabis co-use research agenda that adopts different strategies including behavioural economic, self-administration, and survey research methods.

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Building the data infrastructure to evaluate cannabis legalization

Cited by 6 publications

References 9 publications

Studying Cannabis Use Behaviors With Facebook and Web Surveys: Methods and Insights

Studying Cannabis Use Behaviors With Facebook and Web Surveys: Methods and Insights

Cannabis regulatory science: risk–benefit considerations for mental disorders

Co-use of cannabis, tobacco, and alcohol during adolescence: policy and regulatory implications

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