FAQs
Question: What is the purpose of this study?
Answer:
The goal of the study is to assess the health impact of cannabis use. We aim to better understand users of cannabis therapies, the associated medical conditions for which cannabis is being utilized, the type of products being used, patterns of cannabis and concomitant medication use, and to evaluate the effect of cannabis use on patient health, sleep, pain, mood, and utilization of healthcare services.
Question: Who is eligible to participate in this study?
Answer:
We are recruiting individuals who have not started medicinal cannabis, but will within one month. This study aims to assess health metrics before cannabis use and during cannabis use.
Question: I’m currently using cannabis. Can I enroll in the study?
Answer:
You may be able to enroll if you’ve used cannabis very little in the past six months. Current cannabis users interested in contributing to cannabis research may enroll in the Observational Research Registry hosted by project partner, Realm of Caring.
Question: What will I be required to do if I participate?
Answer:
You will be asked to complete four web-based surveys: one baseline survey before you begin using cannabis and three follow-up surveys after you begin using cannabis. These follow-up surveys are requested 1 month, 3 months, and 12 months after initiating therapeutic cannabis use.
Question: How long is the study?
Answer:
The study will take 12 months. You will be asked to complete follow-up surveys 1 month, 3 months, and 12 months after beginning cannabis use.
Question: When can I start using cannabis after enrolling in the study?
Answer:
Anytime after completing the baseline survey. Your follow-up surveys should only be taken if you’ve started using cannabis.
Question: What are the potential risks of participating?
Answer:
The greatest possible risk is breach of confidentiality. However, all possible steps have been taken to ensure this does not occur. Our data servers are HIPAA compliant, firewall-protected, encrypted, and password protected. All staff have been trained in human subjects research.
Question: Will I be compensated for participating in the study?
Answer:
Yes. You will receive a $25 gift card for each completed survey (up to $100).
Question: Who can I contact if I have questions during the study?
Answer:
For general questions about the study, email [email protected]. If you experience any technical issues while completing a survey, please contact [email protected].
Question: Can I access my data?
Answer:
Yes, you can request access to your data. Please submit a request by contacting [email protected]. Please include your name and the email address used during the study so we can identify your records.
Question: Who can access my data?
Answer:
Access to non-anonymized data is restricted to the Data Coordination Center. Other data will be accessible solely to approved researchers who have submitted formal requests for it.
Question: What will you do with my data and how is my privacy protected?
Answer:
We will anonymize your data to ensure it cannot be traced back to any individual. The anonymized data will be used for publishing research on cannabis and will be incorporated into a data repository to support future research and enhance our understanding of the subject.
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All study procedures are subject to oversight by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and covered by a certificate of confidentiality (CoC).
