Archived Seminar: Using Social Media to Study Cannabis: Health Beliefs, Use Patterns, Consequences, Risk Factors, Interventions

About this Seminar

Achieving a more comprehensive understanding of the risks and benefits of cannabis use has become an escalating public health priority as legal and regulatory cannabis policies become increasingly permissive.  Moreover, as with all substances whose consumption can evolve into a Use Disorder (addiction), more accessible and potent prevention and intervention strategies are needed to reduce the adverse consequences related to cannabis misuse.  Dr. Budney's research group has been leveraging the relatively easy and cost-effective access to cannabis users facilitated by social media platforms to study a potpourri of topics relevant to developing effective public health strategies.  This presentation will offer a snapshot of this work that will include:  how changing policy can impact risk factors for addiction, evaluation of perceived risks and benefits, impact on vulnerable populations (adolescents, pregnant women), and development of remote interventions based on transdiagnostic vulnerability factors.

Additional Details 

This is a free event hosted by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and co-sponsored by the institute's Addiction Recovery Research Center and the Center for Transformative Research on Health Behaviors. The Pioneers in Biomedical Research Seminar Series, which runs annually from September to May, has featured leading biomedical researchers from throughout the country since the program began in 2012. Presented virtually via Zoom primarily for research and clinical audiences, the lectures are also open to all members of the Virginia Tech community including graduate students, undergraduates, faculty, and staff, as well as the public.

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