PARTICIPANT INFORMATION SHEET
Cannabis use motivations in the UK
STUDY BACKGROUND
You are being asked to take part in a research study on motivations for cannabis use in UK adult populations which is led by Brianna Niemtus and supervised by Dr. Angela Hewett and Dr. Greg Westerman-Hughes in the College of Psychology at Birmingham City University. The project has been approved by the Psychology Research Ethics Committee.
WHAT WILL YOU NEED TO DO?
In this study, you will be asked to complete an anonymous online survey. The online survey will include questions regarding your age and motivations for cannabis use, as well as optional questions regarding your current cannabis use and any health conditions. The online survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. All information is anonymous (even to the research team) and will remain confidential, in line with GDPR.
Examples of some questions include: Do you consume (regardless of method of consumption) cannabis daily, almost daily, once or twice a week, a few times a week, one or twice a month, or never. Questions regarding motivations include: On a scale from 1-5 (1 = Never/Almost never, 5 = Always/Almost always), how often do you consume cannabis because it feels fun? On a scale of 1-5 how often do you consume cannabis because it makes you feel more confident?
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO TAKE PART?
Participants eligible to take part are individuals aged 18 and over, UK residents that are current cannabis users. You are regarded as a current cannabis users if you have consumed cannabis in the last 3 months; this includes whether the cannabis flower was unaltered or if the flower was then turned into an oil or butter etc, but does NOT include CBD. Topics explored in this survey include your cannabis consumption and motivations for use. Therefore, individuals diagnosed with Cannabis/Substance Use Disorder are advised to consider whether taking part would cause any distress either during or following participation. If so, you are not encouraged to take part.
HOW LONG WILL THE STUDY LAST?
On average, this study takes 10 minutes.
ARE THERE ANY RISKS OF TAKING PART?
There are no physical risks of taking part in this study as it is an online survey. However, individuals with diagnosed, or suspected, Cannabis/Substance Use Disorder may find the topic of questioning disconcerting and are therefore advised not to take part. Anyone else that are also concerned they may experience adverse emotional reactions from taking part are encouraged not to take part. The majority of questions either present the option “Prefer not to say” or are optional. Additionally, if you decide that you no longer wish to take part you can exit the survey and your results will not be included in final analyses. Should you feel any distress during or following participation, support services are highlighted on both this Participant Information Sheet, and the Debrief Sheet that is presented following survey completion.
WHO TO CONTACT IF YOU ARE AFFECTED BY THE TOPIC OR CONTENT OF THIS STUDY
The following services are tailored towards any general discomfort in your mental wellbeing, as well as a service specific for concerns regarding cannabis.
Mind
This service provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem, you can contact them 24/7.
Website: https://www.mind.org.uk/
Helpline: 0300 123 3393
Email: info@mind.org.uk
Shout
Shout is a free, confidential and 24/7 text messaging service for anyone in the UK who needs support. TEXT: 85258 Website: https://giveusashout.org/
Marijuana Anonymous
This is a free service providing help for anyone worried about cannabis use.
Website: https://www.marijuana-anonymous.org.uk/
Helpline: 0300 124 0373
Email: helpline@marijuana-anonymous.org.uk
ARE THERE ANY BENEFITS OF TAKING PART?
Although there are no direct benefits from taking part to you at this point, your participation in this study will contribute to understanding of the research topic relating to motivations for UK cannabis use in Psychology.
If you are a BCU student you can obtain up to 1 RPS credit for participating in this study.
YOUR RIGHT TO CONFIDENTIALITY/ANONYMITY
The study will not involve the collection of any personal information about you except your age, gender identity, and health status (optional, but much appreciated for data analyses).
No other identifiable information will be collected or stored. Your data will be stored using an anonymous ID code. You will be given instructions on how to create this at the beginning of the study.
All data will be stored in accordance with the University’s Data Protection Policy. Data will be anonymised and will be shared between the primary researcher and the supervisors, and may be subjected to audit and verification processes, but it will not be possible to identify your data at any point. The data will be kept until the degree classification has been awarded, after which point it will be destroyed.
YOUR RIGHT TO WITHDRAW AND WITHHOLD INFORMATION
In line with the regulations outlined by the British Psychological Society, you have the right to withdraw from this research study at any time without explanation.
DURING THE STUDY
While you are taking part in the study, you have the right to omit or refuse to answer or respond to any question that is asked of you. You can also stop taking part in the study while taking part by closing the tab or browser.
AFTER THE STUDY
If you have already completed the study, you can contact the primary researcher or their supervisors using the email address below, requesting your data to be withdrawn. Please provide the anonymous ID code that you created at the start of the study in the email to withdraw your data. You can have your data withdrawn until the 25th July, 2025, when your data will have been analysed and written up.
WHO IS ORGANISING THE RESEARCH?
If you are unhappy at any point in the study, or if there is a problem, please contact the Psychology College Research Ethics Committee directly at
psychethics@bcu.ac.uk.
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