July 18, 2024

A longitudinal study examining the controlled use of cannabis among adults was funded by the National Institutes on Drug Abuse in April 2024. The R01 study entitled “Medical Marijuana, Emerging Adults, and Community: Connecting Health and Policy,” originally started in 2013 and will now extend through January 2029. The study is being led by Principal Investigators Dr. Stephen Lankenau, Professor in the Dornsife School of Public Health and Director of the Medical Cannabis Research Center at Drexel University, and Dr. Carolyn Wong, Associate Professor of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine in the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.

The long-term goal of the new study is to advance the scientific understanding of safer and controlled use of cannabis in policy environments where access to cannabis and potent products is high or increasing. The study will utilize two ongoing longitudinal cohorts of cannabis users comprised of 23-37-year-old adults in California and Pennsylvania – and employ ecological momentary assessment (EMA), quantitative surveys, and qualitative interviews. A key deliverable of this study will be the development and testing of a new scale assessing the rules of controlled use of cannabis. The study is guided by preliminary findings from 10 years of study data plus theoretical insights into controlled use of cannabis as described in Norman Zinberg’s classic book Drug, Set, and Setting. Other key study collaborators include: Drs. Janna Ataiants and Katya Fedorova (Drexel University); Dr. Bridget Conn (USC); and Dr. Emily Ansell (Penn State).