Answer:
The goal of the study is to measure the impact of medicinal cannabis use on patient health. The data we collect will help determine whether use of cannabis to help a variety of health conditions is likely to be helpful, harmful, or result in no change for most patients and will also help patients and providers select the type of product and dose that is most likely to maximize benefit and minimize harm.

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We are looking for adults who are interested in trying cannabis for a medical purpose (for example, to help with sleep, anxiety, pain, cancer, etc.) and plan to try it within the next 2 months.

Answer:
Occasional cannabis use over the past six months is OK, but if you currently use cannabis routinely please consider enrolling in the Observational Research Registry hosted by our project partner, Realm of Caring.

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You will be asked to complete four web-based surveys: one baseline survey before you begin using cannabis and three follow-up surveys after you begin using cannabis. These follow-up surveys are requested 1 month, 3 months, and 12 months after initiating therapeutic cannabis use.

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The study will take about 12 months to complete. You will be asked to fill out 1 survey before you start using medical cannabis and then additional surveys 1 month, 3 months, and 12 months after beginning cannabis use.

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Yes

Answer:
Anytime after completing the baseline survey. Your follow-up surveys should only be taken if you’ve started using cannabis.

Answer:
Participation in the study only consists of answering questions on a computer/tablet/or phone, so there are few risks. The greatest possible risk is breach of confidentiality. Our data servers are HIPAA compliant, firewall-protected, encrypted, and password protected. All staff have been trained in human subjects research. We also have a Certificate of Confidentiality that protects us from being required to disclose your information to anyone (for example, doctors, police, employers, government) without your permission.

Answer:
Yes

Answer:
Yes. You will receive a $25 gift card for each completed survey (up to $100).

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For additional information and technical support, contact the National Cannabis Study team directly using the form on our Participant Support page.

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Yes, you can request access to your data. Please submit a request by contacting [email protected]. Please include your name and the email address used during the study so we can identify your records.

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Only the study team will have access to identifying information (PHI). You may request a copy of your data at any time. Researchers who have approval of an institutional review board (IRB) may be granted access to data you provide that does not identify who you are (i.e., anonymous data that excludes your name, contact information, or any other data that could be used to identify you as a study participant).

Answer:
We will anonymize your data to ensure it cannot be traced back to any individual. The anonymized data will be used for publishing research on cannabis and will be incorporated into a data repository to support future research and enhance our understanding of the subject.