UW News

September 27, 2005

500 adults dependent on marijuana needed for anonymous survey

University of Washington researchers are looking for 500 Puget Sound adults who believe they are dependent on marijuana to participate in an anonymous telephone survey during October.

The survey is designed to find what kinds of services would be useful in programs to assist people who want to quit using marijuana, according to Roger Roffman, professor of social work and director of the Innovative Programs Research Group.

“This survey will be absolutely anonymous,” said Roffman, who is leading the study. “We do not have caller ID and none of the conversations with participants will be recorded. We are interested in what people have to say, not who they are.”

People 18 and older who would like to participate in the survey may do so by calling (206) 616-3736 between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday during the entire month of October.

The survey can be completed in about 15 minutes and includes questions about basic demographics, use of marijuana and ideas about what types of services would be useful to help people who are marijuana dependent to give up the drug.

Roffman’s research group has been studying for the past two decades the effectiveness of a number of counseling approaches to help adults who are marijuana dependent. This research has been supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.

He noted that the number of people using marijuana is stabilizing, but the number who are becoming dependent on the drug is increasing. Marijuana remains the most popular illicit drug in the United States and an estimated 14.5 million Americans were users in 2004. Of those, 2.7 million were dependent on marijuana, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

###


For more information, contact Roffman at (206) 543-2312 or roffman@u.washington.edu.