Dataset Information

Puff, Puff, Don't Pass: harm reduction for cannabis use during a viral respiratory pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, cannabis use social practices often involved sharing prepared cannabis (joints/blunts/cigarettes) and cannabis-related paraphernalia. Previous studies have demonstrated that sharing paraphernalia for cannabis, tobacco, and crack cocaine is a risk factor for respiratory viral and bacterial infections. Although COVID-19 is a respiratory viral infection that spreads through droplets and airborne transmission, it is unclear if many individuals adopted harm reduction practices around sharing cannabis. This study: quantifies the prevalence of sharing prepared non-medical cannabis and cannabis-related paraphernalia reported before and during the pandemic; assesses changes in sharing of non-medical cannabis from before to during the pandemic; assess the association between frequency of non-medical cannabis use and sharing of cannabis during the pandemic; and describes how respondents obtained their cannabis and the reasons for changing their cannabis use during the pandemic to explain differences in sharing patterns.

Methods

This cross-sectional study used data collected from an anonymous, US-based web survey on cannabis-related behaviors from August to September 2020 (n = 1833). Participants were included if they reported using a mode of inhalation for non-medical cannabis consumption. We calculated proportional changes in sharing cannabis before/during the COVID-19 pandemic. Associations between frequency of cannabis use and cannabis sharing during the COVID-19 pandemic were assessed using logistic regression analysis.

Results

Overall, 1,112 participants reported non-medical cannabis use; 925 (83.2%) reported a mode of cannabis inhalation. More respondents reported no sharing during (24.9%) than before the pandemic (12.4%; p < 0.01); less respondents shared most of the time (19.5% before; 11.2% during; p < 0.01) and always during the pandemic (5.2% before; 3.1% during; p < 0.01). After adjusting for covariates, the odds of any sharing during the pandemic for those who reported ≥ weekly cannabis use was 0.53 (95% CI 0.38, 0.75) compared to those who reported ≤ monthly.

Conclusions

Sharing of prepared cannabis and cannabis-related paraphernalia decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to before the pandemic. This finding suggests potential risk mitigation strategies taken by participants for COVID-19 prevention either directly through behavior change or indirectly through adherence to COVID-19 prevention recommendations. Harm reduction messaging around sharing of cannabis during surges of COVID-19 or other respiratory infections may provide benefit in reducing infection among those who use cannabis, especially as cannabis use in the USA continues to increase.

SUBMITTER: Assaf RD

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9957690 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Puff, Puff, Don't Pass: harm reduction for cannabis use during a viral respiratory pandemic.

Assaf Ryan D RD Javanbakht Marjan M Gorbach Pamina M PM Arah Onyebuchi A OA Shoptaw Steven J SJ Cooper Ziva D ZD

Harm reduction journal 20230225 1

<h4>Background</h4>Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, cannabis use social practices often involved sharing prepared cannabis (joints/blunts/cigarettes) and cannabis-related paraphernalia. Previous studies have demonstrated that sharing paraphernalia for cannabis, tobacco, and crack cocaine is a risk factor for respiratory viral and bacterial infections. Although COVID-19 is a respiratory viral infection that spreads through droplets and airborne transmission, it is unclear if many individuals adopt ...[more]

PMID: 36829150

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Project description:BackgroundCannabis is the most common illicit substance used in pregnancy. As use continues to increase, understanding peoples' behaviors surrounding cannabis use during pregnancy is needed to improve maternal and child health outcomes. The aim of this study was to better understand pregnant individuals' perceptions and knowledge of cannabis use and use patterns as well as the social and environmental factors that may influence their use.MethodsWe conducted interviews with 19 participants between December 2022 and March 2023. Individuals self-identified as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), were over 21 years of age, spoke English or Spanish, resided in California, and had used cannabis during pregnancy in the last 0-2 years. Using qualitative, constructivist grounded theory methods, we analyzed the contexts that contributed to participants' lived experiences surrounding cannabis use behaviors during pregnancy.ResultsParticipants reported making conscious decisions to responsibly manage their cannabis use during pregnancy to minimize potential harm to the fetus. Participants prioritized making what they perceived to be safer adjustments to their use of cannabis: (1) changing the amount of cannabis used, (2) changing the types of cannabis products used, and (3) changing sources of cannabis procurement.DiscussionOur findings show that pregnant individuals are seeking information about safe cannabis use beyond medical supervision and are open to altering their cannabis consumption patterns. However, they are unable to find trustworthy and evidence-based harm reduction practices which can be implemented to mitigate harm to their unborn children. A harm reduction approach is needed in the field of maternal cannabis use to promote positive maternal and fetal health outcomes.ConclusionsMore data is needed on comprehensive harm reduction approaches to cannabis use during pregnancy. This requires implementation of education on these topics in healthcare settings presented by prenatal care clinicians.

Project description:ObjectiveAbstinence is rarely achieved in clinical trials for cannabis use disorder (CUD). Cannabis reduction is associated with functional improvement, but reduction endpoints have not been established, indicating a need to identify and validate clinically meaningful reduction endpoints for assessing treatment efficacy.MethodData from a 12-week double-blind randomized placebo-controlled medication trial for cannabis cessation (NCT01675661) were analyzed. Participants (N = 225) were treatment-seeking adults, M = 30.6 (8.9) years old, 70.2% male, and 42.2% Non-White, with CUD who completed 12 weeks of treatment. Frequency (days of use per week) and quantity (grams per using day) were used to define high-, medium-, and low-risk levels. Anxiety and depression were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and cannabis-related problems were assessed using the Marijuana Problems Scale. General linear models for repeated measures tested associations between the magnitude of risk reduction and functional outcomes from baseline (BL) to end-of-treatment (EOT).ResultsCannabis risk levels were sensitive to reductions in use from BL to EOT for frequency- (χ² = 19.35, p = .004) and quantity-based (χ² = 52.06, p < .001) metrics. Magnitude reduction in frequency-based risk level was associated with magnitude decrease in depression (F = 2.76, p = .043, ηp² = .04), anxiety (F = 3.70, p = .013, ηp² = .05), and cannabis-related problems (F = 8.95, p < .001, ηp² = .12). Magnitude reduction in quantity-based risk level was associated with magnitude decrease in anxiety (F = 3.02, p = .031, ηp² = .04) and cannabis-related problems (F = 3.24, p = .023, ηp² = .05).ConclusionsCannabis use risk levels, as operationalized in this study, captured reductions in use during a clinical trial. Risk level reduction was associated with functional improvement suggesting that identifying risk levels and measuring the change in levels over time may be a viable and clinically meaningful endpoint for determining treatment efficacy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Dataset Information

Puff, Puff, Don't Pass: harm reduction for cannabis use during a viral respiratory pandemic.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Puff, Puff, Don't Pass: harm reduction for cannabis use during a viral respiratory pandemic.

Similar Datasets

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