Kruger Daniel J, Amila Karahmet, Kaplan Sydney M, Redfield John, Stacy Taylor, Agarwal Vitush, Faqqouseh Mutaz, Bone Carlton Cb
Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
College of Literature, Sciences, and the Arts, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
Cannabis. 2023 Jul 5;6(2):13-21. doi: 10.26828/cannabis/2023/000164. eCollection 2023.
Novel cannabinoids require systematic research to inform policies and practices. There is a growing interest in semi-synthetic cannabinoids by consumers, manufacturers, and regulators. However, there is a scarcity of research on these substances. Online discussion forums can provide guidance for research questions when current knowledge is scarce. The current project investigates the topics and issues covered in a social media forum devoted to THC-O-acetate (THCO), a semi-synthetic cannabinoid with rapidly rising popularity. Reddit comments posted on the THCO subreddit from June 2021 through November 2021 were coded for major and minor themes by a team of five coders and a supervisor. Major themes were established and clarified through group discussions. A second round of coding confirmed major themes and identified minor themes. The analysis identified several future research topics for THC-O-acetate, including the extent of variation in product composition, the characteristics of user experiences and comparisons with other substances, whether THC-O-acetate produces psychedelic effects, concerns and adverse experiences, and user harm reduction practices. As an acetate ester, THC-O-acetate may break down when heated and release toxic ketene gas. Although several users expressed safety concerns regarding THC-O-acetate, some explicitly mentioning ketene risk, the most common administration method reported was heated inhalation.
新型大麻素需要进行系统研究，以为政策和实践提供信息。消费者、制造商和监管机构对半合成大麻素的兴趣与日俱增。然而，对这些物质的研究却很匮乏。当现有知识不足时，在线讨论论坛可为研究问题提供指导。当前项目调查了一个专门讨论四氢大麻酚乙酸酯（THC-O-乙酸酯）的社交媒体论坛中涉及的主题和问题，THC-O-乙酸酯是一种人气迅速上升的半合成大麻素。2021年6月至2021年11月在THC-O-乙酸酯子版块上发布的Reddit评论由五名编码员和一名主管组成的团队按照主要和次要主题进行编码。主要主题通过小组讨论得以确立和明确。第二轮编码确认了主要主题并确定了次要主题。分析确定了几个关于THC-O-乙酸酯的未来研究主题，包括产品成分的变化程度、用户体验的特征以及与其他物质的比较、THC-O-乙酸酯是否会产生迷幻效果、担忧和不良体验，以及用户减少伤害的做法。作为一种乙酸酯，THC-O-乙酸酯在加热时可能会分解并释放有毒的乙烯酮气体。尽管一些用户对THC-O-乙酸酯表达了安全担忧，一些人明确提到了乙烯酮风险，但报告的最常见给药方式是加热吸入。
