Pot and Pride: Addressing Cannabis Use Disparities among Sexual and Gender Minorities

Cannabis use and use-related negative consequences (e.g., dependence) among sexual and gender minorities (SGM) has become an area of increasing public health concern. Research has documented disproportionately elevated rates of cannabis use and cannabis use disorder among SGM. Studies have identified several predictors of SGM cannabis use disparities, and theory has suggested several mechanisms that explain associations between these predictors and cannabis use outcomes. In this talk, I will first provide an overview of research discussing the nature of SGM cannabis use disparities. Second, I will discuss predictors of SGM cannabis use, with a focus on minority stress (i.e., the additional stressors experienced by SGM due to their minoritized identities; e.g., discrimination, victimization). Third, I will introduce a theoretical framework, the psychological mediation framework, which describes putative mechanisms that underpin associations between SGM minority stress and cannabis use outcomes. I will then present ongoing, cutting-edge research that leverages experience sampling methods to evaluate this theoretical framework. Through this research, I ultimately hope to inform intervention targets and support SGM health promotion