Funding Source

Collaborative Research Advancement Grants Program—Pilot Funding University of Cincinnati Office of Research

Project Period

7/1/20-1/1/2022

Principal Investigator

LaTrice Montgomery, PhD (University of Cincinnati)

Other Project Staff

Neil MacKinnon, PhD; Dylanne Twitty, BA; Nico Moftakhar, BS

Project Summary

The overall objective of this proposal is to develop and pilot test a longitudinal cohort survey for Ohio patients with the ultimate goal of understanding how different aspects of the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program (OMMCP) impacts the health and social outcomes of patients. The specific aims of this research are as follows:

1. Identify initial program characteristics of the OMMCP, including demographic characteristics of patients and patterns in medical marijuana product use and purchases;

2. Describe the experiences of patients (N = 20) enrolled in the OMMCP;

3. Develop and pilot test a longitudinal cohort survey for patients (N = 200) to test the health effects (e.g., self-reported improvement or decline in symptoms) and social impacts (e.g., public safety) of participating in the OMMCP.

Public Health Relevance

Medical marijuana is one of the most controversial and polarizing healthcare issues among the scientific community, public officials and the general public. Although marijuana is labeled a Schedule I drug with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse at the federal level, medical marijuana programs (MMPs) have proliferated across states. With over an estimated 3.5 million medical marijuana patients and thousands of dispensaries in the United States, it is imperative to understand the public health impact and implications of state MMPs.