Behavioral Economic Analysis of Demand for Marijuana

February 7, 2024 updated by: Elizabeth Aston, Brown University
This laboratory study will employ a multi-session experimental design to examine the behavioral economic demand for marijuana, by studying effect of marijuana administration (High THC) on demand for marijuana, and marijuana smoking topography. The study will recruit 100 non-treatment seeking marijuana users who smoke marijuana at least twice weekly.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Detailed Description

This laboratory study will employ a multi-session experimental design to examine craving for marijuana, the effect of marijuana administration (High THC) on behavioral economic demand for marijuana, and marijuana smoking topography. The study will recruit 100 non-treatment seeking marijuana users who smoke marijuana at least twice weekly. The relationship between hypothetical and actual demand for marijuana will be examined. We will also investigate relationship between demand for marijuana and indices of marijuana smoking topography. The study will recruit 100 non-treatment seeking marijuana users who smoke marijuana at least twice weekly to obtain a final sample of 85 with complete data (15% of attrition). Participants will be tested at a baseline session and during two experimental sessions (an ad libitum marijuana smoking session and a marijuana smoking topography session). This study will confirm the utility of the hypothetical marijuana purchase task as a reliable and valid tool for assessing behavioral economic marijuana demand.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

133

Phase

  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • Rhode Island
      • Providence, Rhode Island, United States, 02903
        • Brown University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 50 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • marijuana use at least 8 times in the past month on average and at least monthly for the past 6 months
  • English-speaking
  • negative urine toxicology screen for drugs other than marijuana
  • non-treatment seeking
  • purchase of marijuana at least twice in the past 6 months to confirm familiarity with the construct to be measured

Exclusion Criteria:

  • positive pregnancy test
  • nursing
  • inability to use contraception during the study
  • poor physical health
  • positive breath alcohol concentration
  • diagnosis of a current affective disorder, psychosis, and panic disorder
  • self-report of past serious adverse reaction to marijuana
  • current psychotropic drug use
  • smoking more than 20 tobacco cigarettes per day
  • inability to abstain from marijuana for 15 hours
  • body mass index outside 18.5-30 kg/m2 range

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: High THC dose (6% THC)
Smoked marijuana cigarettes (High THC dose [6% THC])
Smoked marijuana cigarettes (High THC dose [6% THC])

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Validity of the Marijuana Purchase Task (MPT)
Time Frame: Duration of the experimental session (i.e., 60 minutes)
The Marijuana Purchase Task will be used to collect data on marijuana demand. Participants indicate how much marijuana they would purchase at varying levels of price (e.g., free - $60). Indices of marijuana demand are derived from the task and used to determine the relative value of marijuana for each participant. Hits purchased on the MPT will correspond with actual number of hits purchased and smoked in the laboratory. Primary outcome is percentage of participants who purchased and smoked exactly what they said they would.
Duration of the experimental session (i.e., 60 minutes)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Marijuana Craving Questionnaire (MCQ)
Time Frame: The MCQ will be administered pre- and post- marijuana smoking during the experimental session, up to 6 hours
Subjective marijuana craving was assessed via a 10-item Marijuana Craving Questionnaire. Participants were asked to respond to items according to how they were thinking or feeling "right now," and MCQ items were rated on a 1 = "strongly disagree" to 7 = "strongly agree" scale, with higher scores indicating greater subjective marijuana craving, and summed to yield a total craving score. Total craving score was used in analyses.
The MCQ will be administered pre- and post- marijuana smoking during the experimental session, up to 6 hours
Marijuana Smoking Topography
Time Frame: Marijuana smoking topography indices will be collected during the 1-hour ad libitum marijuana smoking topography experimental session.
Indices of Marijuana Smoking Topography will be obtained during the experimental session. Participants will smoke marijuana through a smoking topography device. The outcome measure is number of puffs.
Marijuana smoking topography indices will be collected during the 1-hour ad libitum marijuana smoking topography experimental session.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Elizabeth Aston, PhD, Brown University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

October 15, 2018

Primary Completion (Actual)

May 24, 2021

Study Completion (Actual)

May 24, 2021

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 9, 2018

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 3, 2018

First Posted (Actual)

May 8, 2018

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 12, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 7, 2024

Last Verified

February 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • #1502001185

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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