Behavioral Economic Analysis of Demand for Marijuana

 描述(由申请人提供)：通过本K01提案中描述的研究和培训，PI(阿斯顿博士)将获得必要的技能，成为一名独立研究人员，应用行为经济学框架检查大麻的相对价值、行为和药理效果。行为经济学结合了经济学和心理学的原理来研究决策，用户对给定物质的重视程度，以及消费行为。物质需求是指药品成本对购买药品消费意愿的影响。目前和即将实现娱乐用大麻合法化，使得及时审查对大麻的行为经济需求成为当务之急。通过使用药物购买任务，行为经济学在文献中被广泛使用，以评估酒精和尼古丁在各种条件下的相对价值，并作为未来行为的预测因子。然而，关于大麻的相对价值的研究很少。该提案的目的是制定、改进和验证大麻购买任务(MPT)，以评估大麻需求。这是第一个定性制定MPT措施的提案，因此，将有助于理解大麻需求、使用和购买行为之间的关系。将在两个目标上采用混合方法。首先，将采用定性方法(30-48名经常吸食大麻的焦点小组；对20-30名吸食大麻者进行认知访谈)，以制定和完善一项MPT措施，并对有关大麻使用和购买的有限文献作出贡献。随后，将招募经常吸食大麻的人(n=85)参加两次平衡的大麻管理会议(大麻线索反应性和吸烟地形)，以验证MPT措施。PI将与经验丰富的导师团队(Jane Metrik博士、James MacKillop博士、Robert Swift博士和Rochelle Rosen博士)合作，掌握与这项提议相关的五个培训领域：(1)定性方法和分析，(2)药物使用障碍的药物疗法，(3)实验室大麻给药方法，(4)行为经济学理论和分析，以及(5)数据分析的高级统计方法。成功完成本申请中详细说明的研究和培训将为PI成为一名独立科学家做好准备，并开发一系列关于物质使用的行为、经济和药理学影响的研究。这项提议将导致对大麻需求的有效和可靠的衡量。大麻需求指标的成功开发将通过促进后续研究对该领域产生重大影响，这些研究检查(1)大麻需求和使用之间的潜在中介和调节因素，(2)合成大麻与植物大麻类化合物的需求，(3)大麻使用障碍的潜在药物治疗，(4)税收对娱乐和黑市大麻需求的影响，以及(5)酒精和大麻联合管理的需求变化、药理效应和行为影响。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Through the research and training described in this K01 proposal, the PI (Dr. Aston) will acquire the necessary skills to become an independent researcher applying a behavioral economic framework to the examination of the relative value, behavioral, and pharmacologic effects of marijuana. Behavioral economics incorporates principles from economics and psychology to examine decision-making, the degree to which a user values a given substance, and consumption behavior. Substance demand refers to the effects of drug cost on willingness to purchase drugs for consumption. Current and impending legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes makes the examination of behavioral economic demand for marijuana timely and of high priority. Via use of drug purchase tasks, behavioral economics has been used extensively in the literature to assess the relative value of both alcohol and nicotine under various conditions and as a predictor of future behavior. However, there is a paucity of research on the relative value of marijuana. The aim of this proposal is to develop, refine, and validate a Marijuana Purchase Task (MPT) to assess marijuana demand. This is the first proposal to qualitatively develop an MPT measure, and as such, will contribute to the understanding of the relationships among marijuana demand, use, and purchase behavior. A mixed-methods approach will be employed across two aims. First, a qualitative approach (focus groups with 30-48 frequent marijuana users; cognitive interviews with 20-30 users) will be used to develop and refine an MPT measure and to contribute to the limited literature on marijuana use and purchase. Subsequently, frequent marijuana users (n=85) will be recruited to participate in two counter-balanced marijuana administration sessions (marijuana cue-reactivity and smoking topography) to validate the MPT measure. The PI will work with an experienced and knowledgeable team of mentors (Drs. Jane Metrik, James MacKillop, Robert Swift, and Rochelle Rosen) to master five areas of training relevant to this proposal: (1) qualitative methodology and analysis, (2) pharmacotherapy for substance use disorders, (3) laboratory marijuana administration methodology, (4) behavioral economic theory and analysis, and (5) advanced statistical approaches to data analysis. Successful completion of the research and training detailed in this application will prepare the PI to become an independent scientist and develop lines of research on the behavioral economic and pharmacologic effects of substance use. This proposal will result in a valid and reliable measure of demand for marijuana. Successful development of a measure of marijuana demand will significantly impact the field via facilitation of subsequent research examining (1) potential mediators and moderators between marijuana demand and use, (2) demand for synthetic versus plant-based cannabinoids, (3) potential pharmacotherapy for cannabis use disorders, (4) the influence of taxation on demand for recreational and black-market marijuana, and (5) variation in demand, pharmacologic effects, and behavioral effects of co-administration of alcohol and marijuana.