Secondary prevention of cannabis-related harms among youth and young adults: A pilot RCT

Researchers recognize that only a small portion of individuals with cannabis use problems ever seek treatment. Therefore, developing effective interventions is urgently required to meet the needs of people who already use cannabis, but who are not currently receiving specialty treatment for cannabis addiction. To date, the impact of providing an easily accessible intervention platform for cannabis problems has not been evaluated. To address this issue, the Canadian Research Initiative on Substance Misuse (CRISM) is developing an online intervention platform (Screening, Self-Management. and Referral to Treatment; SSMRT), accessible to the general public, and intended to provide online access to a suite of efficacious screening and intervention resources. This includes a curated repository of information on cannabis, its effects, and legalization in Canada; access to a way to find out how your cannabis use compares to your peers; and a listing of local treatment programs and supports for cannabis-related problems. The project will evaluate whether using the SSMRT program reduces problems associated with using cannabis. The goal is to answer the following research questions: 1) Will young adults who use the SSMRT platform experience greater cannabis problem reduction than those who do not use the self-help platform? 2) What factors predict reductions in cannabis problems for those who engage with SSMRT? An online survey will be administered to 1446 university students, 723 of whom will be given access to SSMRT. During the study, a smaller group of 20 SSMRT users will also be invited to a focus group at each follow up to provide feedback about how to improve SSMRT and make it more accessible to the public. The results of the study will be published for scientific audiences, as well as disseminated nationally to a general audience. Locally, the information will be used to support university programming and service development to help students with cannabis use concerns.