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| Assessment of Cannabis’ Relative Value: Laboratory Evaluation of Reward Processing Among Those Who Use Cannabis |
| Saturday, May 28, 2022 |
| 12:00 PM–12:50 PM |
| Ballroom Level 3; Ballroom East/West |
| Area: SCI; Domain: Applied Research |
| Chair: Thomas J. Waltz (Eastern Michigan University) |
| CE Instructor: Elizabeth Aston, Ph.D. |
| Presenting Author: ELIZABETH ASTON (Brown University) |
| Abstract: Behavioral economics, an interdisciplinary field that prioritizes the assessment of reinforcer valuation, provides a powerful approach to examine the relative value of cannabis. Demand, an integral component of a behavioral economic approach to studying cannabis use, characterizes the value of a given reinforcer and facilitates identification of excessive substance valuation. Demand may be obtained via systematic assessment of hypothetical consumption across escalating price on the Marijuana Purchase Task. This talk will present the utility of demand as a potential marker of cannabis risk severity, including use frequency, use of high-potency cannabis formulations, and engagement in hazardous behaviors such as driving following use. This presentation will focus on demand assessment paired with ad libitum cannabis administration in the laboratory, including simulated purchasing behavior, subjective intoxication, and smoking topography (i.e., the way in which one smokes). The talk will conclude with discussion of clinical applications for demand assessment, how behavioral economic approaches can inform policy surrounding cannabis, and how we can tailor demand assessment in the wake of ever-evolving cannabis formulations, modes of administration, and legislation. |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |
| Target Audience: Attendees at the MA or Ph.D. level with interest in behavioral economics of substance use |
| Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will be able to: (1) explain behavioral economic theory and its applications as a marker of cannabis use severity; (2) justify how substance demand, or perceived reward value, is a critical individual difference variable with respect to cannabis use; (3) describe how behavioral economic demand indices can be used to assess the influence of cannabis value in the laboratory and in daily life, as well as related clinical and policy implications. |
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| ELIZABETH ASTON (Brown University) |
 Dr. Elizabeth Aston completed her Ph.D. in Neuroscience at Wake Forest School of Medicine. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at the Brown University School of Public Health. She studies the behavioral economics of cannabis use, as well as predictors of cannabis-related outcomes (e.g., frequency, cannabis use disorder, problems) among individuals who use cannabis. She recently completed a K01 career development award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse using qualitative and quantitative methods to modify and validate a behavioral economic measure of demand for cannabis. She is also interested in cannabis’ medical applications, and is currently using qualitative and quantitative methods to study potential medical benefits of cannabis in the treatment of pain and inflammation for individuals with rheumatic diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis). |
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