The Feasibility of Conducting Research on Cannabis Use in Early Adolescents in England

Background: Approximately 10% of early adolescents in the UK report lifetime cannabis use. However, contemporary UK research in this population remains limited due to recruitment, consent and safeguarding challenges. We explored the feasibility of conducting research about cannabis use in UK adolescents aged 13–15 years.Methods: This exploratory feasibility project comprised an online quantitative survey and qualitative interviews on cannabis use and mental health. Participants aged 13-15 years were recruited through schools, drug services, social media, posters and word-of-mouth. Participants consented through either a standard parent-and-adolescent pathway or an independent Gillick-competent pathway. Feasibility outcomes included total recruitment, cannabis-user recruitment, successful data collection, and the extent of safeguarding actions required. Results: 175 participants completed the survey (Mage = 14.35, 54.9% female) and n=13 (7.4%) reported lifetime cannabis use. 16 participants (Mage=14.56, 75.0% female) completed the qualitative interview study, including 11 lifetime cannabis users. Two and four cannabis-using participants used the Gillick-competent pathway in the quantitative and qualitative studies, respectively. In the quantitative study, 38/175 participants (21.7%) triggered low-intensity signposting and one participant received additional safeguarding actions. Three qualitative participants received safeguarding actions. Both studies successfully elicited detailed information on cannabis use, mental health and contextual experiences.Conclusion: We recruited nearly 200 13-15-year-old adolescent participants, including those who used cannabis, collected rich data about illegal cannabis use and mental health using in-depth surveys and interviews, while keeping participants safe. We therefore proved we can feasibly conduct research about cannabis in <16-year-olds in the UK.