Browsing by Author "Wilkins C"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    Barriers and facilitators to prescribing medicinal cannabis in New Zealand.
    (CSIRO Publishing on behalf of The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners, 2023-03-02) Withanarachchie V; Rychert M; Wilkins C; Goodyear-Smith F
    Introduction: The New Zealand Medicinal Cannabis Scheme (NZMCS) was established in April 2020 with the aim of expanding access to quality controlled medicinal cannabis products and developing a domestic medicinal cannabis industry. Yet, two years later, many patients report challenges in utilising the NZMCS, including physicians’ reluctance to provide prescriptions for products. Aim: To explore the barriers and facilitators to prescribing medicinal cannabis in New Zealand. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 31 New Zealand physicians (general practitioners, specialists, and cannabis clinicians) who had discussed medicinal cannabis with patients in the last 6 months. Results: Physicians reported the principal barrier to prescribing medicinal cannabis was the limited clinical evidence to support cannabis therapy. Further barriers included: a perceived lack of knowledge of medicinal cannabis; concerns over professional reputation; social stigma; and the price of products. Conversely, the factors that facilitated cannabis prescribing included patients’ and physicians’ knowledge of medicinal cannabis; some physicians’ desire to avoid patients having to engage with private cannabis clinics; and the timing of prescription requests (ie considering medicinal cannabis after other treatments had been exhausted). Discussion: Further clinical research of medicinal cannabis medications, education and training, and information would support physicians to deliver more informed advice to patients and enhance professional confidence with cannabis therapies.
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    Exploring Differences in Daily Vaping of Nicotine and Cannabis among People Who Use Drugs in New Zealand.
    (Taylor and Francis Group, 2023-06-16) Rychert M; Romeo JS; Wilkins C
    Background: Little is known about daily vaping of different substances, particularly cannabis. Aim: To explore daily vaping of cannabis and nicotine products in a sample of people who use drugs in New Zealand. Method: The online New Zealand Drug Trends convenience survey (N = 23,500) was promoted to those aged 16+ via a targeted Facebook™ campaign, with 9,042 reporting vaping in the past six months. Multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to identify predictors of daily vaping of: (i) nicotine e-liquids, (ii) no-nicotine e-liquids, (iii) cannabis e-liquids/oils, (iv)cannabis herb. Results: Forty-two percent of past 6-month vapers used a vaporizing device "daily or near daily" (n = 3,508). Nicotine was most common substance used by daily vapers (96%), followed by dry herb cannabis (12%), no-nicotine e-liquids (10%) and cannabis e-liquid (6%). Daily vaping of no-nicotine e-liquids was associated with abstinence from tobacco use. Frequency of cannabis use was negatively correlated with daily vaping of nicotine liquids and positively correlated with daily vaping of no-nicotine and herbal cannabis. Younger age strongly predicted daily vaping of nicotine and no-nicotine liquids, but the reverse association was observed for daily vaping of herbal cannabis. Māori were less likely to daily vape cannabis herb than NZ Europeans. Daily vaping of both cannabis e-liquid and cannabis herb was associated with medicinal cannabis use. Conclusion: Daily vapers of nicotine and cannabis differed by several characteristics. Younger age group is at risk of daily vaping nicotine and non-nicotine, while herbal cannabis vaping is associated with older and medicinal use, suggesting a need for a nuanced vape policy response.
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    Exploring the substitution of cannabis for alcohol and other drugs among a large convenience sample of people who use cannabis.
    (BioMed Central Ltd, 2024-11-05) Wilkins C; Romeo J; Rychert M; Graydon-Guy T
    Background The substitution of cannabis for alcohol and other drugs has been conceptualised in a harm reduction framework as where cannabis is used to reduce the negative side-effects, addiction potential, and social stigma of other drugs. There is currently mixed evidence with recent reviews suggesting cannabis co-use patterns may vary by age and ethnicity. Yet few studies have had large enough samples to examine this demographic variation in detail. Aims To explore the co-use of cannabis with alcohol and other drugs within demographic subgroups of a large sample of people who use cannabis. Specifically: (1) whether cannabis is being substituted for other drugs, and (2), whether cannabis use leads to more, less or the same level of other drug use. Method Online convenience survey promoted via Facebook™ completed by 23,500 New Zealand respondents. Those who had used cannabis and any of eight other substances in the same six-month period were asked if their use of cannabis had any impact on their use of each other substance (“a lot more”, “little more”, “no impact/same”, “little less”, “a lot less”). Frequency and quantity used of each other drug was compared by co-use group. Generalised logistic regression models were developed to predict co-use categories. Results Significant proportions reported cannabis use led to “less” alcohol (60%), synthetic cannabinoid (60%), morphine (44%) and methamphetamine (40%) use. Those who reported using “less” had lower frequency and amount used of other drugs. Approximately seven-out-ten reported cannabis use had “no impact” on LSD, MDMA, and cocaine use. One-in-five reported using cannabis led to “more” tobacco use. Young adults (21–35-years) were more likely to report cannabis use led to “less” drinking and methamphetamine use. Adolescent co-users (16–20 years) reported mixed impacts. Māori were more likely to report cannabis use resulted in “less” alcohol, tobacco, methamphetamine, and LSD use. Students and those living in cities were less likely to report cannabis use lowering use of other substances. Conclusion Cannabis and other drug co-use patterns are moderated by life stages, lifestyles, cultural perspectives, and urbanicity. Harm reduction initiatives and policy reforms should take account of these moderating factors.
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    Global patterns in small-scale cannabis growers' distribution practices: Exploring the grower-distributor nexus.
    (Elsevier B.V., 2024-06-03) Søgaard TF; Brummer JE; Wilkins C; Sznitman SR; Sevigny EL; Frank VA; Potter G; Hakkarainen P; Barratt MJ; Werse B; Grigg J; Fortin D; Bear D; Lenton S; Jauffret-Roustide M; Kirtadze I
    BACKGROUND: While the supply of cannabis is commonly assumed to be dominated by criminal gangs, a sizable share of the domestic cannabis supply is provided by small-scale growers. This article examines the nature and scope of small-scale growers' distribution practices, with a particular focus on cross-country differences and variations between different types of grower-distributors, i.e., "non-suppliers", "exclusive social suppliers", "sharers and sellers" and "exclusive sellers". METHODS: Based on a large convenience web survey sample of predominantly small-scale cannabis growers from 18 countries, this article draws on data from two subsamples. The first subsample includes past-year growers in all 18 countries who answered questions regarding their market participation (n = 8,812). The second subsample includes past-year growers in 13 countries, who answered additional questions about their supply practices (n = 2,296). RESULTS: The majority of the cannabis growers engaged in distribution of surplus products, making them in effect "grower-distributors". Importantly, many did so as a secondary consequence of growing, and social supply (e.g., sharing and gifting) is much more common than selling. While growers who both shared and sold ("sharers and sellers"), and especially those who only sold ("exclusive sellers"), grew a higher number of plants and were most likely to grow due to a wish to sell for profits, the majority of these are best described as small-scale sellers. That is, the profit motive for growing was often secondary to non-financial motives and most sold to a limited number of persons in their close social network. CONCLUSION: We discuss the implications of the findings on the structural process of import-substitution in low-end cannabis markets, including a growing normalization of cannabis supply.
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    “I straight up criminalized myself on messenger”: law enforcement risk management among people who buy and sell drugs on social media
    (Taylor and Francis Group, 2023-06-20) van der Sanden R; Wilkins C; Rychert M
    Background and Aim: Social media drug markets are likely to present people participating in these spaces with new vulnerabilities to law enforcement. There is currently limited research on how people perceive and manage the risk of exposure to law enforcement in social media drug markets. This is particularly notable considering widespread practices of user data collection and the normalization of surveillance as part of social media engagement. Methods: We present a thematic analysis of data from anonymous online interviews with people who buy and sell drugs (N = 33) via social media and messaging apps in New Zealand. We use the concept of “imagined surveillance” to explore how participants adapted existing understandings of online surveillance to online risk management strategies to avoid police. Findings: Most participants reported low concern for exposure to law enforcement while using social media and messaging apps for drug trading. Nevertheless, almost all participants took active risk management measures. Examples of strategies used included limiting the accumulation of evidence via self-deleting messages or arranging drug trades using code language. Participants often also reported low concern for their digital trace data to be accessed by police. Conclusions: Navigating law enforcement risk in social media drug markets is likely to be informed and shaped by more general perceptions of digital privacy risk and related management strategies, particularly in more normalized drug market contexts. The potential for broader and unexpected consequences to result from the use of drug-related digital trace data across public and private contexts is discussed.
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    Legal sourcing of ten cannabis products in the Canadian cannabis market, 2019-2021: a repeat cross-sectional study.
    (BioMed Central Ltd, 2023-02-17) Wadsworth E; Rynard V; Driezen P; Freeman TP; Rychert M; Wilkins C; Hall W; Gabrys R; Hammond D
    BACKGROUND: One of the objectives of cannabis legalization in Canada is to transition consumers from the illegal to the legal market. Little is known about how legal sourcing varies across different cannabis product types, provinces, and frequency of cannabis use. METHODS: Data were analyzed from Canadian respondents in the International Cannabis Policy Study, a repeat cross-sectional survey conducted annually from 2019 to 2021. Respondents were 15,311 past 12-month cannabis consumers of legal age to purchase cannabis. Weighted logistic regression models estimated the association between legal sourcing ("all"/ "some"/ "none") of ten cannabis product types, province, and frequency of cannabis use over time. RESULTS: The percentage of consumers who sourced "all" their cannabis products from legal sources in the past 12 months varied by product type, ranging from 49% of solid concentrate consumers to 82% of cannabis drink consumers in 2021. The percentage of consumers sourcing "all" their respective products legally was greater in 2021 than 2020 across all products. Legal sourcing varied by frequency of use: weekly or more frequent consumers were more likely to source "some" (versus "none") of their products legally versus less frequent consumers. Legal sourcing also varied by province, with a lower likelihood of legal sourcing in Québec of products whose legal sale was restricted (e.g., edibles). CONCLUSION: Legal sourcing increased over time, demonstrating progress in the transition to the legal market for all products in the first three years of legalization in Canada. Legal sourcing was highest for drinks and oils and lowest for solid concentrates and hash.