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Core Assessment Battery for Cannabis

CABC

Significance

Despite numerous observational studies measuring the same endpoints from cannabis use (e.g., pain, anxiety, sleep, quality of life, functioning), there has been an absence of a unified framework for accurately measuring the health outcomes of cannabis use. Indeed, large cohort studies often use different assessment tools for the same health-related endpoint. This diversity of assessment approaches of cannabis effects has led to significant challenges and an inability to validly compare results across studies or integrate the data into a larger cohesive cannabis dataset from which more nuanced analyses could be conducted.

Description

The Core Assessment Battery for Cannabis (CABC) is a core set of validated questionnaires that will be recommended for use by all researchers in future studies of the health effects of cannabis use.

Goal

Adoption of the CABC allows for better cross-study comparison and facilitates data harmonization across studies, which greatly increases the ability to:

  • Study the effects of medicinal cannabis use on rare health conditions,
  • Differentiate types or doses of cannabis for particular health conditions, or
  • Evaluate effects among smaller subgroups of patients.

All data collected using the CABC is deposited in and serves as the foundational dataset for a data repository for medicinal cannabis use and related health effects. Access to the data repository is free for non-profit scientists and we intend to launch a pilot grant program to support early career investigators interested in using the data in the later years.

Core Assessment Battery for Cannabis (CABC) Description of Measures

Category: Health and Functioning

Domain: Quality of Life

  • World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief (WHOQOL-BREF)
    • Instructions for access: Required to fill out a permission form
    • Find it: WHOQOL-BREF

Domain: Functioning

  • Brief Inventory of Psychosocial Functioning (B-IPF)
    • Instructions for access: Freely open to use
    • Find it: B-IPF

Domain: General Health and Well-being

  • MOS 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36)
    • Instructions for access: Available for public use under specific terms and conditions
    • Find it: SF-36
  • Patient’s Global Impression of Change (PGIC)
    • Instructions for access: Freely open to use
    • Find it: PGIC

Domain: Pain

  • Brief Pain Inventory Short Form (BPI-SF)
    • Instructions for access: Online form needs to be submitted to order the BPI for use in research. This measure may have fees associated with it based on the funding status of the research.
    • Find it: Request through the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Domain: Mental Health – Anxiety and Depression

  • Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms (IDAS)
    • Instructions for access: Must create login to access
    • Find it: IDAS

Domain: Sleep

  • Insomnia Severity Index (ISI)
    • Instructions for access: Must create login to access. This measure may have fees associated with it based on the funding status of the research.
    • Find it: ISI

Category: Cannabis Use Behavior

Domain: Cannabis Product and Quantity

  • Cannabis Use Questionnaire (CUQ)
    • Instructions for access: Freely open to use
    • Find it: CUQ

Category: Ancillary Recommended Measures

Domain: Motives for Cannabis

  • Comprehensive Marijuana Motives Questionnaire (CMMQ)
    • Instructions for access: Need to contact
    • Find it: Contact Christine Lee, PhD ([email protected])

Domain: Cannabis Use Expectancies

  • Cannabis Effects Expectancy Questionnaire–Medical (CEEQ–M)
    • Instructions for access: Click on supplementary table and go to appendix to find the measure
    • Find it: CEEQ–M

Domain: Problematic Cannabis Use

  • Cannabis Use Disorders Identification Test Revised (CUDIT-R)
    • Instructions for access: Freely open to use
    • Find it: CUDIT-R
  • Marijuana Problems Scale (MPS)
    • Instructions for access: Freely open to use
    • Find it: MPS