Hello and welcome to "Cannabis Use Characteristics of Adults in Texas," a nonexperimental survey study designed to investigate individuals' use patterns of cannabis (marijuana) in the state of Texas. Before taking part in this study, please read the consent form below, answer the 3 comprehension questions, and click the "I agree" button on the following page if you understand the statements and freely consent to participate in the study.
Consent
The purpose of this research study is to characterize adult (aged 35 and up) cannabis users in the state of Texas. The study is being conducted by Francesca Filbey, PhD, of the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), and it has been approved by the UTD Office of Research Integrity and Outreach. No deception is involved, and the study involves little more than minimal risk to participants (i.e., the level of risk encountered in daily life). There is a small risk for breach of confidentiality which could lead to adverse consequences due to participants' disclosure of cannabis use. Accidental data disclosure could potentially have negative legal, financial, and social effects on participants due to the illegality of cannabis use in the state of Texas. To mitigate this risk, the survey is conducted on the UT Dallas REDCap secure server and the survey is anonymous. Participation in the study does not require you to provide personal identifying information. Optional contact information will be collected in a separate survey not linked to responses about cannabis use (see below).
Participation in the study typically takes less than 30 minutes and is strictly confidential. Responses recorded via UT Dallas REDCap participant portal are de-identified, meaning survey responses are never linked to personal identifying information. Participants begin by providing demographic information, followed by answering questions regarding cannabis use, reasons for using cannabis, former and current psychiatric diagnoses, physical health, chronic pain and use of prescription painkillers and other substances, memory ability, and opinions about cannabis research.
After completing the cannabis survey, you will be provided a link to a separate survey where you have the option to provide your name and email address for a chance to win a $100 dollar Amazon gift card. Your contact information (should you choose to provide it) from the optional drawing survey will never be linked to your responses from the cannabis survey. A winner will be randomly selected at the end of the study, and after compensation and notification all contact information will be destroyed.
If you would like to be contacted for future studies, you may opt in to be contacted via email (in which case we will retain your name and email address in our secure database, but this information will not be linked to your survey responses). This is completely voluntary and does not affect your eligibility for or chances in the drawing. As mentioned earlier, all responses are treated as confidential, and in no cases will responses from individual participants be identified. Rather, all data will be pooled and published in aggregate form only. In addition, the de-identified data – data that contains neither contact nor identifying information – could be used for future research studies or distributed to other researchers for future research studies without additional informed consent. Participation is voluntary, and the survey may be completed at your own pace. It is recommended that you complete this survey in an area where you feel comfortable and secure.
If there are questions in the survey that you do not wish to answer, it is your right to refuse. Refusal to take part in the study involves no penalty or loss of benefits to which participants are otherwise entitled to. In addition, should the participant decide to no longer continue, they may withdraw from the study at any time without penalty or loss of benefits to which they are otherwise entitled. Many individuals find participation in this study enjoyable, and no adverse reactions have been reported thus far.
If you have further questions about this study, you may contact the Primary Investigator, Francesca Filbey, PhD, at francesca.filbey@utdallas.edu or the primary contact person, Erin Horne, PhD, at erin.horne@utdallas.edu. If you would like more information about your rights as a participant or wish to report a research-related concern, you can contact The University of Texas at Dallas Office of Research Integrity and Outreach at 972-883-4579.