ReBandit: Random Effects Based Online RL Algorithm for Reducing Cannabis Use.

The escalating prevalence of cannabis use, and associated cannabis-use disorder (CUD), poses a significant public health challenge globally. With a notably wide treatment gap, especially among emerging adults (EAs; ages 18-25), addressing cannabis use and CUD remains a pivotal objective within the 2030 United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). In this work, we develop an online reinforcement learning (RL) algorithm called reBandit which will be utilized in a mobile health study to deliver personalized mobile health interventions aimed at reducing cannabis use among EAs.

Binge drinking in American Indian Alaskan Native college attending students.

Objectives: American Indian and Alaskan Native (AIAN) populations have the highest rate of alcohol use disorder (AUD). Binge drinking is a known predecessor of AUD and is prevalent in college-attending populations. However, little is known about the prevalence and risk factors related to AIAN college student binge drinking.

Cannabis expectancies and associations with cannabis use and health functioning among adults with chronic pain.

Introduction: Cannabis is increasingly available to individuals in the United States, with the majority of states legalizing medical or recreational cannabis use. Cannabis expectancies (e.g.

A mobile health intervention for emerging adults with regular cannabis use: A micro-randomized pilot trial design protocol.

Background: Emerging adult (EA) cannabis use is associated with increased risk for health consequences. Just-in-time adaptive interventions (JITAIs) provide potential for preventing the escalation and consequences of cannabis use. Powered by mobile devices, JITAIs use decision rules that take the person's state and context as input, and output a recommended intervention (e.

Acceptability and feasibility of a mobile behavioral economic health intervention to reduce alcohol use in adults in rural areas.

Background: At-risk alcohol use is associated with increased adverse health consequences, yet is undertreated in healthcare settings. People residing in rural areas need improved access to services; however, few interventions are designed to meet the needs of rural populations. Mobile interventions can provide feasible, low-cost, and scalable means for reaching this population and improving health, and behavioral economic approaches are promising.

Prevalence and Frequency of Cannabis Use Among Adults Ages 50-80 in the United States.

Legal access to and attitudes toward cannabis are changing rapidly. Most of the United States and territories allow adults to use medical and/or recreational cannabis. Recent trends demonstrate increasing cannabis use among older U.

Impact of COVID-19 on stimulant use disorder treatment: A national cohort study in the Veterans Health Administration.

Objective: Rates of stimulant overdose have increased dramatically, which may have been exacerbated by treatment disruptions during the pandemic, but no recent studies have examined use of stimulant use disorder (StUD) treatment.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study (March 2018 to February 2022) of national Veterans Health Administration patients, we use an interrupted time-series analysis to examine the impact of COVID-19 (starting in March 2020) on treatment use for StUD.

Results: The number of patients receiving StUD care was increasing pre-COVID (22,640-23,020, February 2018-February 2020) but dropped post-pandemic to 18,578 in February 2022.

Perceived risk of harm for different methods of cannabis consumption: A brief report.

Background: Emerging adults' (EAs; ages 18-25) perceived risk of cannabis-related harms has decreased in recent decades, potentially contributing to their high prevalence of cannabis consumption. With the changing cannabis policy and product landscape, it is critical to understand perceived risk related to different consumption methods (e.g.

Development and Pilot Testing of an Experimental Cannabis Marketplace: Toward Evaluating the Impact of Cannabis Policy on Consumer Choices.

The legal landscape of recreational cannabis production and consumption is rapidly expanding, driving a need to inform empirically supported cannabis regulatory policy. A behavioral economic framework integrating economic constructs (e.g.

Pilot trial of a telehealth-delivered behavioral economic intervention promoting cannabis-free activities among adults with cannabis use disorder.

Background: Cannabis is increasingly consumed and increasingly perceived as harmless. Among those whose use develops into a cannabis use disorder (CUD), <5% initiate and engage in treatment. Thus, novel options for low-barrier, appealing treatments are needed to foster engagement in care.

Peer- and web-based interventions for risky drinking among US National Guard members: Mission Strong randomized controlled trial.

Aims: To test separatel the efficacy of a web-based and a peer-based brief intervention (BI), compared with an expanded usual care control (EUC) group, among military reserve component members using alcohoI in a hazardous and harmful manner.

Design: In the randomized controlled trial, participants were assigned to: [1] web-based BI with web-based boosters (BI + web), [2] web-based BI with peer-based boosters (BI + peer) or [3] enhanced usual care (EUC).

Setting: Michigan, USA.

A systematic review of remotely delivered contingency management treatment for substance use.

Background: Substance use and related consequences (e.g., impaired driving, injuries, disease transmission) continue to be major public health concerns.

Risky Drinking in Adolescents and Emerging Adults: Differences between Individuals Using Alcohol Only versus Polysubstances.

Background: Factors related to risky drinking (e.g., motives, protective behavioral strategies [PBS]) may vary between youth who engage in polysubstance use compared to those who consume alcohol only.

Cannabis Use in Patients Seen in an Academic Radiation Oncology Department.

Purpose: Cannabis use rates are increasing in the United States. Patients with cancer use cannabis for many reasons, even without high-quality supporting data. This study sought to characterize cannabis use among patients seen in radiation oncology in a state that has legalized adult nonmedical use cannabis and to identify key cannabis-related educational topics.

Patterns of same-day alcohol and cannabis use in adolescents and young adults with risky alcohol use.

Same-day alcohol and cannabis use is relatively common in adolescents and young adults, constituting a higher-risk behavior relative to single-substance use. However, the association between quantity of alcohol and cannabis use on co-use days is understudied. We examined the association between the quantity of alcohol and same-day cannabis use with a multilevel regression analysis in a sample of youth (16-24 years old) with risky alcohol use.

A randomized controlled trial of social media interventions for risky drinking among adolescents and emerging adults.

Purpose: Alcohol use among adolescents and emerging adults is an important public health issue requiring prevention approaches. Herein, we describe outcomes from a randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of group-based social media interventions targeting risky drinking among youth.

Procedures: Using social media advertisements to screen potential participants, we recruited 955 youth (ages 16-24) reporting recent risky drinking.