A Qualitative Study of Cannabis Edibles

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 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In the course of conducting the parent project, "Times are Changing: A Qualitative Study of Older Marijuana Users (R01DA033814)," we learned that edible cannabis use has emerged as a mode of ingestion with its own set of challenges for users and their communities. As edible cannabis becomes more popular and available, it is important that we ascertain users' motivations for experimentation and continuation of edible use. Our preliminary findings indicate that many Baby Boomers sought out edible cannabis as a healthier alternative to smoking and discovered a qualitatively different intoxication experience. Users' accounts indicate that one of their main challenges was the potential for overdose. Overdose experiences range from very unpleasant sensations that abate over several hours to heart palpitations, excessive sweating, extreme dysphoria, paranoid ideation, hallucinations and trips to the ER. In fact, early detection and surveillance mechanisms indicate an increase in cannabis edible-related ER visits (SAMSHA, 2013). The overarching aim of this proposed 36-month qualitative project is to conduct in-depth interviews with 120 adult (60 women and 60 men) who use edible cannabis in order to address the question: What are the beliefs, practices, and health and social consequences of edible cannabis use? To be included in the sample, participants must self-identify as a current edible cannabis user, and they must have used edible cannabis a minimum of 5 times in a 12 month period. At no point will they have been in treatment for heroin, powder or crack cocaine, methamphetamine, other club drugs, psychedelics or prescription drugs. We will include those who have been in treatment for their cannabis use. We will exclude potential participants who self-report problems with or treatment for alcohol in the year prior to interview. These inclusion and exclusion criteria are designed to focus our study on primary cannabis users in order to examine their edible cannabis use specifically and to discover their use trajectories and their behavioral, health, and social outcomes. San Francisco is an ideal site for this qualitative study because it has a higher percentage of people who are regular drug users (13.0% vs. national average of 8.1%) than any other major metropolitan area in the US. As edible cannabis use becomes more socially acceptable, the potential for adverse reactions increases among both novice and seasoned users. As medical and recreational users begin to experiment with edible cannabis, problems with proper dosage, problems with the length of time to onset of intoxication and other negative health consequences may be exacerbated. New health-related complications specific to cannabis edible use may also emerge. This qualitative research project will provide much needed empirical information about edible cannabis users' unique experiences in order to design more appropriate and effective public health warnings and interventions targeted specifically to the growing population of edible cannabis users.