Bryan Lee Miller

On the Operational Validity of Perceptual Peer Delinquency: Exploring Projection and Elements Contained in Perceptions

Objectives. The authors examine perceptions of a peer’s substance use to determine whether and to what degree individuals project their own behavior onto their perceptions of peer’s delinquency, and to determine whether the constructs of self-control and peer attachment are related to perceptions. Methods. Using a sample of 2,154 young adult respondents within friendship pairs in which each respondent reported their own substance use and their perception of the friend’s use, the authors estimate a series of regression models with perceptions of a peer’s alcohol, marijuana, Salvia divinorum, and hard drug use as dependent variables. Results. Perceptions of a peer’s substance use are approximately equally related to a peer’s and a respondent’s use of each substance. Projection occurs to a greater extent when perceiving low-frequency behaviors. Low self-control is sporadically associated with higher perceived substance use. Conclusions. Peer self-reported delinquency and perceptions of peer delinquency are distinct constructs. Because projection appears to be worse for infrequent behaviors, researchers should use caution when using low-frequency behaviors to measure perceptual peer delinquency. Although the data used are cross sectional, the perceptual measure is confounded by too many variables other than a peer’s actual delinquency to be considered a valid measure of the sole construct of peer delinquency.

Legally High? Legal Considerations of Salvia divinorum.

Abstract The legal status of the hallucinogenic plant Salvia divinorum has been rapidly changing. Legal prohibitions on this plant native to Oaxaca, Mexico have emerged at the state level, a phenomenon that has not occurred since the passage of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Included will be a brief description of the plant that has only recently crept into the popular American consciousness, and a review of the different legal mechanisms through which states have controlled the plant and the pending legislation proposing controls. Lastly, the implications of various state laws are discussed.

Salvia divinorum use among a college student sample.

The recreational use of Salvia divinorum has received increased attention by media outlets and policy-makers in recent years. The vast absence of research to guide the dissemination of information has prompted this research note describing the use of this substance in a large public institution of higher education. The prevalence of Salvia divinorum is described in this context and a description of patterns of use, methods of acquisition, and a subjective estimation of continuance are proffered.

Assessing the dangers of "dabbing": mere marijuana or harmful new trend?

* Abbreviations: BHO — : butane hash oil THC — : tetrahydrocannabinol The practice now known as “dabbing” appears to be quickly proliferating as a fashionable way to use marijuana in the United States.1 Dabbing is the inhalation of a concentrated tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) product created through butane extraction. The use of butane hash oil (BHO) products and the modification of cannabis more generally are not new phenomena, but dabbing has recently moved from relative obscurity to the headlines, leaving cannabis aficionados, adolescents, and parents curious about its effects. Physicians and other health care professionals need to be prepared for discussions about the effects of dabbing to minimize potential harms, particularly because recent marijuana policy changes likely has facilitated youth access to “dabs.” BHO is made from cannabis and in many instances may be used to salvage less potent portions of the plant.2 Because BHO production is uncomplicated, requires few resources, and is the subject of countless instructional videos on social media Web sites, recreational users have created BHO at home in a process colloquially called “blasting.” Blasting involves passing butane through a steel or glass tube packed with dried cannabis trimmings. THC and other hydrophobic compounds in the vegetation’s trichomes dissolve within the butane; the butane–THC solution leaves the tube through a filter and is collected in a dish or tray. Because butane is very volatile, it evaporates (or is purged within a vacuum oven), leaving crystalized resins that can have a THC concentration approaching 80%. This product can take many forms depending on heat, pressure, humidity, and other factors. The form most challenging to produce … Address correspondence to John M. Stogner, PhD, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28223. E-mail: johnstogner{at}uncc.edu

A spicy kind of high: a profile of synthetic cannabinoid users

Aims: Over the last 6 years, numerous products have been made available and marketed as “legal highs.” Many of these products contain compounds similar to those within cannabis and function to create a high comparable to that of smoking marijuana. Though governments have regulated these psychoactive compounds, variants are still sold. At this point, little is known about the characteristics of users of synthetic cannabinoids. Design and Participants: A self-report survey instrument was administered to 2349 university students at a large institute in the State of Georgia. Respondents reported on their lifetime, last-year, and last-month synthetic cannabinoid use and demographic characteristics. Results: Males, Whites and Hispanics, users of other substances, and those from more affluent families were significantly more likely to report having used a synthetic cannabinoid. In addition, those that self-identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) were twice as likely to have used synthetic cannabinoids. Conclusions: This research is among the first to detail characteristics of synthetic cannabinoid users in a large random sample. It appears that use of synthetic cannabinoids (synthetic marijuana analogs) continued after initial bans and that use is concentrated in affluent White and Hispanic males and in the LGBT community.

Examining the Measurement of Novel Drug Perceptions: Salvia divinorum, Gender, and Peer Substance Use

Researchers commonly use a persons perception of the drug use of friends to determine the impact that peers exert on ones own behavior. Recently, there has been concern over this measures validity. Novel drugs, which are either newly discovered drugs or existing substances only recently used for recreational purposes, may be used so infrequently that people have too few observable opportunities to accurately develop perceptions of their peers use. Employing survey data collected in 2009 from 2,154 individuals within friendship pairs in the Southeast United States, we explore how gender affects perceptions of the infrequently used, novel drug Salvia divinorum. The studys limitations are noted.

Misperceptions of Peer Pill-Popping: The Prevalence, Correlates, and Effects of Inaccurate Assumptions About Peer Pharmaceutical Misuse

Peer behaviors may significantly influence personal behavior yet individuals may not accurately estimate their peers’ actions. Overestimations of peer substance use may encourage initiation or exacerbate extant problems. The present study examines misperceptions of peer pharmaceutical misuse and explores the relationship between reported misuse and perceptions of misuse for four categories of prescription drugs. Data collected from 2,349 college students in the Southeastern United States were analyzed and results indicated that overall perceptions of misuse were significantly higher than actual misuse. These findings suggest that intervention efforts may benefit from addressing misperceptions of pharmaceutical misuse. Study limitations and implications are addressed.

Magic Mint, the Internet, and Peer Associations: A Test of Social Learning Theory Using Patterns of Salvia Divinorum Use

As new drugs are introduced into the market, it becomes the role of policy makers to assess the dangers associated with each drug and its potential to be misused by the populace. The focus of this research is to better understand how young adults learn about a new drug and subsequently engage in its use. Salvia divinorum is a plant species whose leaves contain psychoactive components. Its recreational use among teenagers and young adults has received increased media and policy attention. Several states have taken the initiative to ban this substance. Despite this legal action, little is known about why this substance has gained in popularity and what factors contribute to its use. Akers’ social learning theory offers one explanation for why individuals experiment with drugs. We employ a sample of college students from a large public university to test Akers’ propositions, finding support for his theory.

The Dabbing Dilemma: A Call for Research on Butane Hash Oil and Other Alternate Forms of Cannabis Use

Disclaimer: This is a version of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to authors and researchers we are providing this version of the accepted manuscript (AM). Copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof will be undertaken on this manuscript before final publication of the Version of Record (VoR). During production and pre-press, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal relate to this version also.

Not-So-Clean Fun: A Profile of Bath Salt Users Among a College Sample in the United States

Abstract This research examines the characteristics of users of synthetic stimulants marketed as “bath salts.” Synthetic stimulants such as MDPV (3,4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone), Mephedrone (4-Methylmethcathinone), and Methylone (3,4-Methylenedioxymethcathinone) are often contained in products sold at convenience stores and over the Internet in the United States. Despite the recent legal action banning these types of synthetic stimulants, little is known about the characteristics of the users of these substances. This research provides a profile of bath salt users in the United States among an emerging adult population. A self-report survey instrument was administered to 2,349 students at a large university in the southeastern United States. Respondents indicated whether they had used synthetic stimulants and reported demographic characteristics. Results indicated that users of bath salts were more likely to be male, Hispanic or Native American, student athletes, employed, identify as a members of the LGBT community, and users of other substances.