Situations and roles of cannabis versus cigarette use: Integrating ecological momentary assessment with qualitative mapping interviews.

Use of both cannabis and tobacco has surpassed use of tobacco alone among young adults in California. To better understand why, we collected data with 32 young adults ages 18-30 in Northern California who regularly used cigarettes and cannabis and had diverse sexual, gender, racial, and ethnic identities. Geographically-explicit ecological momentary assessment (EMA; 30 days) was integrated with qualitative mapping interviews. We found contrasting situations of use for cannabis (e.g., around other people) versus cigarettes (e.g., recent discrimination) and different reasons for why participants chose one substance over the other (e.g., enhancing experiences vs. stepping away). Understanding when and why diverse young adults choose cannabis versus cigarettes as they navigate everyday environments helps explain how cannabis and tobacco retail markets shape substance use disparities over time.

Exploring multiple drug use by integrating mobile health and qualitative mapping methods - An individual case study.

BACKGROUND: Multiple drug use involves particular pleasures and risks, and is disproportionately practiced by some minority and socially marginalized groups. The unique patterns, intentions, and social contexts of multiple drug use for these groups are poorly understood. METHODS: Our mixed method integrates geo-enabled smartphone survey data collection with a qualitative mapping interview method. This brief report presents data from one study participant to demonstrate this method's potential contributions to multiple drug use research for priority groups in different settings. RESULTS: 'Jason's' data revealed the interrelated dynamics within his drug use repertoire and links between his substance use to rural life as a transgender person with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Cigarettes played a role in coping with acute stress from repeatedly being misgendered. Cannabis intoxication helped manage social interactions as a person with ASD, while 'chasing' with cigarettes calibrated cannabis intoxication. Methamphetamine use related to managing body dysmorphia in a rural context with poor access to transgender health services. CONCLUSION: This mixed method can integrate reliable and ecologically valid assessments of multiple drug use repertoires and combination patterns with the place-embedded experiences, intersecting identities, structural barriers, and intentions related to multiple drug use for different priority groups.