Drug helplines and adult marijuana users: An assessment in Washington, Colorado, Oregon, and Alaska

ABSTRACT

Drug helplines are well-known and widely utilized resources for those seeking help with managing their substance use. Using “secret shoppers,” a preliminary assessment of the drug helplines in 4 states was performed. Eleven calls were placed to the helpline staff, where the secret shopper posed as an adult users of marijuana interested in decreasing their marijuana use and asked questions about cannabinoids and methods of marijuana consumption. In 100% of the calls placed, helpline staff had no knowledge about the effects and interactions of marijuana's 2 main components (tetrahydrocannabinol [THC] and cannabidiol [CBD]), neither could they explain the risk differential of smoking, eating, or vaporizing marijuana. In all but one of the calls placed, helpline responders were respectful and empathic. The assessment suggests that drug helplines are equipped with a respectful, empathetic, and nonjudgmental staff who lack important knowledge to best serve those seeking help for marijuana use.

KEYWORDS:

• Cannabis
• cannabis use disorder
• helpline
• marijuana
• referral

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the staff of the statewide helplines for their important work.

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Author contributions

B.H.C. was responsible for the research conception and design, collection of data, analysis and interpretation of results, and manuscript preparation. S.B.G. was responsible for the collection of data, analysis and interpretation of the results, and revision of the manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This assessment was supported by the I-502 Marijuana Dedicated Fund for Research at the University of Washington Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute. The funding organization had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.