Cannabis Consumers' View of Regulated Access to Recreational Cannabis: A Multisite Survey in Switzerland.

INTRODUCTION There is considerable effort in legalizing recreational use of cannabis globally. The successful implementation of a program of regulated access to recreational cannabis (PRAC) depends on the consumers' engagement. The aim of this study was to examine the acceptability of twelve different regulatory aspects by cannabis users including those obtaining cannabis from the illicit market and vulnerable populations such as young adults and problematic users. METHODS The current study is a multisite online survey conducted in Switzerland. A total of 3,132 adult Swiss residents who consumed cannabis within the previous 30 days represented the studied population. Mean age was 30.5 years, 80.5% were men, and 64.2% of the participants stated that they always or often obtain cannabis from the illicit market. We described consumers' acceptability of twelve regulatory aspects concerning THC content control, disclosure of sensitive personal data, security aspects, and follow-up procedures by applying descriptive statistics and multiple regression models. RESULTS THC content regulation showed most discrepancy with 89.4% of the participants stating to engage in a PRAC if five different THC contents were available as compared to 54% if only 12% THC was available. The least accepted regulatory aspect was disposal of contact details with an acceptability rate of 18.1%. Consumers mainly obtaining cannabis from the illicit market, young adults, and problematic users showed similar acceptability patterns. Participants obtaining cannabis from the illicit market were more likely to engage in a PRAC if five different THC contents were available as compared to participants obtaining cannabis from other sources (OR 1.94, 95% CI: 1.53-2.46). CONCLUSION A carefully designed PRAC that takes into account the consumers' perspective is likely to transfer them to the regulated market and to engage vulnerable populations. We cannot recommend the distribution of cannabis with only 12% THC content as this is unlikely to engage the target population

Health behaviors, affect, and academic performance : three longitudinal studies

Objective: Health behaviors are a fundamental and highly fluctuating component of everyday life. Evidence capturing these natural daily fluctuations is limited. Therefore, this dissertation investigates how these daily dynamics in health behaviors are associated with other important aspects of young adults’ everyday lives and bridges separate research strands by integrating health behaviors, affect, stress, and academic performance in three intensive longitudinal studies. Method: These three longitudinal studies were conducted independently during three consecutive freshman years covering a period of up to eight months (with up to 65 assessment days). University students reported their sleep quality, physical activity, snacking, positive and negative affect, experienced stress, and learning goal achievement (Study A: N = 72, Study B: N = 292, Study C: N = 304). Data were analyzed using multilevel mediation and moderation analyses. Results: Days with better sleep quality or more physical activity than usual, but not snacking, were associated with better learning goal achievement through increased positive affect and decreased negative affect on those days. Especially on more stressful days than usual, these two health behaviors emerged as potential stress-buffers against the adverse effects of daily stress on affect. Importantly, the majority of the findings were replicated across the three studies. Conclusions: Single nights of better sleep quality or single days of more physical activity than usual, especially on stressful days are a valuable resource for young adults’ daily functioning. These findings have the potential to inform health promotion and stress prevention programs aimed at supporting young adults in their everyday lives. Ziel: Gesundheitsverhalten ist eine zentrale und zugleich stark schwankende Komponente des täglichen Lebens. Forschung zu dieser natürlichen Dynamik gibt es wenig. Die vorliegende Dissertation untersucht daher, wie Gesundheitsverhalten mit wichtigen Alltagsbereichen im jungen Erwachsenenalter zusammenhängen und verbindet dabei drei Forschungsrichtungen, indem sie Gesundheitsverhalten, Affekt, Stress und akademische Leistung in drei längsschnittlichen Beobachtungsstudien gemeinsam beleuchtet. Methode: Diese drei unabhängigen Längsschnittstudien wurden jeweils während des ersten Studienjahres über einen Zeitraum von bis zu acht Monaten durchgeführt (mit bis zu 65 Befragungstagen). Studierende berichteten ihre Schlafqualität, körperliche Aktivität, Snacking, positiven und negativen Affekt, erlebten Stress, und Lernzielerreichung (Studie A: N = 72, Studie B: N = 292, Studie C: N = 304). Die Daten wurden mittels Multilevel Mediations- und Moderationsanalysen ausgewertet. Resultate: Tage mit besserer Schlafqualität oder erhöhter körperlicher Aktivität als üblich, jedoch nicht Snacking, waren via erhöhtem positiven Affekt und verringertem negativen Affekt mit besserer Lernzielerreichung assoziiert. An stressreicheren Tagen als üblich stellten diese beiden Gesundheitsverhalten einen protektiven Faktor gegen die negativen Auswirkungen von Stress auf Affekt dar. Beinahe alle Resultate konnten über die drei Studien repliziert werden. Schlussfolgerungen: Einzelne Nächte mit besserer Schlafqualität oder einzelne Tage mit erhöhter körperlicher Aktivität als üblich, gerade an stressreichen Tagen, scheinen eine wertvolle Ressource für wichtige Alltagsbereiche im jungen Erwachsenenalter zu sein. Diese Befunde haben wichtige Implikationen für die Gesundheitsförderung und Stressprävention, mit dem Ziel junge Erwachsene in ihrem täglichen Leben zu unterstützen

Autonomous goal striving promotes a nonlimited theory about willpower

People who believe that willpower is not limited exhibit higher self-regulation and well-being than people who believe that willpower is a limited resource. So far, only little is known about the antecedents of people’s beliefs about willpower. Three studies examine whether autonomous goal striving promotes the endorsement of a nonlimited belief and whether this relationship is mediated by vitality, the feeling of being awake and energetic. Study 1 ( n = 208) showed that autonomous goal striving predicts a change in willpower beliefs over 4 months and that this change is mediated by vitality. Study 2 ( n = 92) replicated this finding using experience sampling assessments of vitality. Experimental Study 3 ( n = 243) showed that inducing an autonomous mind-set enhances people’s endorsement of a nonlimited belief by fostering vitality. The studies support the idea that what people believe about willpower depends, at least in part, on recent experiences with tasks as being energizing or draining

Day-to-day variations in health behaviors and daily functioning: two intensive longitudinal studies

In two intensive longitudinal studies we examined the daily dynamics in health behaviors and their associations with two important indicators of young adults' daily functioning, namely, affect and academic performance. Over a period of 8 months, university students (Study 1: N = 292; Study 2: N = 304) reported sleep, physical activity, snacking, positive and negative affect, and learning goal achievement. A subsample wore an actigraph to provide an additional measurement of sleep and physical activity and participated in a controlled laboratory snacking situation. Multilevel structural equation models showed that better day-to-day sleep quality or more physical activity than usual, but not snacking, were associated with improved daily functioning, namely, affect and learning goal achievement. Importantly, self-report measurements of health behaviors correlated with behavioral measurements. These findings have the potential to inform health promotion programs aimed at supporting young adults in their daily functioning in good physical and mental health

The importance of physical activity and sleep for affect on stressful days: Two intensive longitudinal studies

We investigated the potential stress-buffering effect of 3 health behaviors-physical activity, sleep quality, and snacking-on affect in the context of everyday life in young adults. In 2 intensive longitudinal studies with up to 65 assessment days over an entire academic year, students (Study 1, N = 292; Study 2, N = 304) reported stress intensity, sleep quality, physical activity, snacking, and positive and negative affect. Data were analyzed using multilevel regression analyses. Stress and positive affect were negatively associated; stress and negative affect were positively associated. The more physically active than usual a person was on a given day, the weaker the association between stress and positive affect (Study 1) and negative affect (Studies 1 and 2). The better than usual a person's sleep quality had been during the previous night, the weaker the association between stress and positive affect (Studies 1 and 2) and negative affect (Study 2). The association between daily stress and positive or negative affect did not differ as a function of daily snacking (Studies 1 and 2). On stressful days, increasing physical activity or ensuring high sleep quality may buffer adverse effects of stress on affect in young adults. These findings suggest potential targets for health-promotion and stress-prevention programs, which could help reduce the negative impact of stress in young adults. (PsycINFO Database Recor