Lessons from conducting trans-national Internet-mediated participatory research with hidden populations of cannabis cultivators

Barratt, Monica J.; Potter, G. R.; Wouters, M.; Wilkins, Chris; Werse, Bernd; Perälä, Jussi; Pedersen, Michael Mulbjerg; Nguyen, Holly; Malm, Aili; Lenton, Simon; Korf, D.J.; Klein, Axel; Heyde, Julie; Hakkarainen, Pekka; Frank, Vibeke Asmussen; Decorte, Tom; Bouchard, Martin; Blok, Thomas

doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2014.12.004

Cited by 52 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Last, the survey item assessing use of leftover cannabis plant material forced a single response rather than multiple responses (which were likely) and thus the data from this item must be interpreted judiciously. Despite these limitations, online purposive data collection methods are a valid and reliable means of studying cannabis users (Ramo, Liu, & Prochaska, 2012) and have been demonstrated to be particularly useful for collecting data from hidden populations engaging in potentially illicit behaviors such as growing cannabis at home (Barratt, et al, 2012; Barratt, et al, 2015; Decorte & Potter, 2015; Potter, et al, 2015). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Legal cannabis laws, home cultivation, and use of edible cannabis products: A growing relationship?

Borodovsky

Budney

2017

International Journal of Drug Policy

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Background Over half of U.S. states have enacted legal cannabis laws (LCL). In parallel, edible cannabis products (i.e., edibles) have presented new regulatory challenges. LCL provisions that dictate access to cannabis (e.g., home cultivation (HC) or dispensaries (DSP)) may impact edible production and use. This study examined relationships among HC and DSP provisions, cannabis cultivation, and edible use. Methods An online cannabis use survey was distributed using Facebook. Data were collected from 1813 cannabis-using adults. U.S. states were classified as states without LCL (Non-LCL) or LCL states that: (1) only permit DSP (LCL DSP-only), (2) only permit HC (LCL HC-only), or (3) permit HC and DSP (LCL HC+DSP). Analyses tested associations among these classifications, cannabis growing, and edible use and procurement. Results Individuals in LCL HC-only and LCL HC+DSP states were more likely to report currently growing cannabis at home (OR: 3.3, 95% CI: 1.7, 6.2; OR: 3.9, 95% CI: 2.4, 6.3, respectively) and past-month edible use (OR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.4, 3.4; OR: 2.9, 95% CI: 2.2, 3.9, respectively) than individuals in LCL DSP-only states. Regardless of state, those who had grown cannabis were more likely to have made edibles than those who had never grown cannabis (OR: 2.2, 95% CI: 1.8, 2.6). Individuals in LCL HC-only states were more likely to have made edibles in the past month than individuals from Non-LCL (OR: 2.75, 95% CI: 1.5, 5.3) and DSP-only states (OR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.0, 4.4). Individuals in LCL HC+DSP states were more likely to have purchased edibles in the past month than individuals from Non-LCL (OR: 3.7, 95% CI: 2.4, 5.6) and DSP-only states (OR: 3.2, 95% CI: 1.8, 5.5). Conclusion Specific LCL provisions may differentially affect individuals’ propensity to grow cannabis and make, buy, and use edible cannabis products. Permitting home cultivation contributes to a greater probability of growing cannabis. Those who grow cannabis economize the plant by creating homemade edible cannabis products. Conversely, permitting dispensaries increases the likelihood of purchasing edibles. The psychoactive effects of edibles with unknown and variable cannabinoid content will be unpredictable. Policymakers should carefully consider how specific LCL provisions can affect patterns of cannabis edible product access and quality.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Legal cannabis laws, home cultivation, and use of edible cannabis products: A growing relationship?

Borodovsky

Budney

2017

International Journal of Drug Policy

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“…Numerous studies have used websites and social media to recruit participants (Adler et al, 2014;Altshuler, Gerns Storey, & Prager, 2015;Barratt et al, 2015;Bauermeister et al, 2012;Ben-Ezra et al, 2013;Camacho et al, 2013;Chaulk & Jones, 2011;Dal Moro, 2013;Harris et al, 2014;Hernandez-Romieu et al, 2014;Janiec, Zielicka-Hardy, Polkowska, Rogalska, & Sadkowska-Todys, 2012;Jones, Saksvig, Grieser, & Young, 2012;Klein, Thomas, & Sutter, 2007;Moreno, Grant, Kacvinsky, Egan, & Fleming, 2012;Schumacher et al, 2014;Stein et al, 2014;Sueki, 2015;Thomas, Heysell, Houpt, Moore, & Keller, 2014;Turbow, Kent, & Jiang, 2008; van Genderen, Slobbe, Koene, Mastenbroek, & Overbosch, 2013;Zhang, Bi, Hiller, & Lv, 2008;Zheluk, Quinn, & Meylakhs, 2014). Online recruitment is a convenient method of reaching samples for rare outcomes (Schumacher et al, 2014) or hidden or difficult to reach populations (Barratt et al, 2015;Hernandez-Romieu et al, 2014). However, online recruitment may introduce bias in the sample due to disparities in technology use among minority race/ethnic groups, low socioeconomic status groups, and older adults (Bauermeister et al, 2012).…”

Section: Online Recruitingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similar to Twitter, Facebook may be used for active or passive data collection. It has frequently been used to recruit participants (Altshuler et al, 2015;Barratt et al, 2015;Bauermeister et al, 2012;Ben-Ezra et al, 2013;Hernandez-Romieu et al, 2014;Schumacher et al, 2014;Stein et al, 2014;Thomas et al, 2014;van Genderen et al, 2013), but the information created by users has also been used for research.…”

Section: Facebookmentioning

confidence: 99%

The potential use of social media and other internet-related data and communications for child maltreatment surveillance and epidemiological research: Scoping review and recommendations

Schwab‐Reese¹,

Hovdestad²,

Tonmyr³

et al. 2018

Child Abuse & Neglect

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Collecting child maltreatment data is a complicated undertaking for many reasons. As a result, there is an interest by child maltreatment researchers to develop methodologies that allow for the triangulation of data sources. To better understand how social media and internet-based technologies could contribute to these approaches, we conducted a scoping review to provide an overview of social media and internet-based methodologies for health research, to report results of evaluation and validation research on these methods, and to highlight studies with potential relevance to child maltreatment research and surveillance. Many approaches were identified in the broad health literature; however, there has been limited application of these approaches to child maltreatment. The most common use was recruiting participants or engaging existing participants using online methods. From the broad health literature, social media and internet-based approaches to surveillance and epidemiologic research appear promising. Many of the approaches are relatively low cost and easy to implement without extensive infrastructure, but there are also a range of limitations for each method. Several methods have a mixed record of validation and sources of error in estimation are not yet understood or predictable. In addition to the problems relevant to other health outcomes, child maltreatment researchers face additional challenges, including the complex ethical issues associated with both internet-based and child maltreatment research. If these issues are adequately addressed, social media and internet-based technologies may be a promising approach to reducing some of the limitations in existing child maltreatment data.

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“…On the other hand, many scholars have problematised digital methods, and Karpf (2012) has suggested that new research methods that are implemented in 'Internet time' are untested and often rely upon incomplete and systematically flawed online data sources. Some have even looked into specific methodological issues in digital research, such as sample representativeness and the study of hard-to-reach populations (Barratt et al, 2015). Others have reflected on complex ethical issues in digital research, such as that of safeguarding participants' anonymity when digital communication is subject to surveillance (Barratt et al, 2015;Lyon, 2014).…”

Section: Digital Methods Data and Expertisementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some have even looked into specific methodological issues in digital research, such as sample representativeness and the study of hard-to-reach populations (Barratt et al, 2015). Others have reflected on complex ethical issues in digital research, such as that of safeguarding participants' anonymity when digital communication is subject to surveillance (Barratt et al, 2015;Lyon, 2014). Such critical voices clearly indicate the literacy challenges that researchers encounter in relation to the conduct of interdisciplinary research, the quality control of online data sources, online population sampling and online research ethics.…”

Section: Digital Methods Data and Expertisementioning

confidence: 99%

Literacy and training in digital research: Researchers’ views in five social science and humanities disciplines

Tsatsou

2017

New Media & Society

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This paper examines the views of researchers in five social science and humanities disciplines on their digital literacy and the training they need or have undertaken. Theoretically, the paper draws upon two competing conceptualisations of digital literacy: digital literacy as 'user skills' and digital literacy as 'user-technology interactivity'. Empirically, it suggests that social science and humanities researchers' understandings and evaluations of their digital literacy unfolds at two levels -the factual and the perceptual -and involves not only (technical) skills but also user experiences, emotions, and complex processes of learning, practicing and self-development when interacting with technology. Furthermore, researchers challenge the value of generic institutional training for literacy enhancement and envision the development of informal communities of experience exchange and knowledge-sharing across the research community. These findings lead to recommendations on training provision and support the conceptualisation of digital literacy as a process where user interactivity with technology results in certain experiences, reflections and lessons, rather than merely reflecting users' technical skills.

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Lessons from conducting trans-national Internet-mediated participatory research with hidden populations of cannabis cultivators

Cited by 52 publications

References 43 publications

Legal cannabis laws, home cultivation, and use of edible cannabis products: A growing relationship?

Legal cannabis laws, home cultivation, and use of edible cannabis products: A growing relationship?

The potential use of social media and other internet-related data and communications for child maltreatment surveillance and epidemiological research: Scoping review and recommendations

Literacy and training in digital research: Researchers’ views in five social science and humanities disciplines

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