Research Society on Marijuana (RSMj) 2023
The lab attended the 7th annual meeting of the Research Society on Marijuana (RSMj) in Long Beach, California in July, 2023.
Katt presented her research examining the novel interpersonal determinants of cannabis use in rural communities, specifically belongingness. This project found that 57% of a rural college sample reported using cannabis at 1-5 occasions over the past month. Past-month cannabis frequency was explained by perceived lack of university belongingness and, in turn, negative affect. Katt is currently leading a team of lab colleagues to prepare these findings for publication. Next steps involve continued characterization of rural cannabis use and novel sociodemographic risk factors, including a national sample proposed in Katt’s Second Year Project (thesis).
Patty presented their research replicating the two-factor structure and excellent internal reliability of the Sleep-Related Cannabis Expectancies Questionnaire (SR-CEQ; Goodhines et al., 2020), including incremental evaluation of construct validity among a sample of undergraduate college students. Findings replicate previous work, further highlighting positive sleep-related cannabis expectancies as a potential risk factor for insomnia and hazardous cannabis use. Findings are currently under review for publication. Next steps include replication among national and Maine-specific samples of rural young adults.
When not presenting and learning about cutting-edge international cannabis research, the lab enjoyed exploring the waterfront, local food and music, and a whale watching tour.
