In this work, we focus on enhancing the efficacy of predictive modeling in operational management decision making in two different settings: Essay 1 focuses on demand forecasting for the companies and the second study utilizes longitudinal data to analyze the illicit drug seizure and overdose deaths in the United States. In Essay 1, we utilize an operational system (newsvendor model) to evaluate the forecast method outcome and provide guidelines for forecast method (the exponential smoothing model) performance assessment and judgmental adjustments. To assess the forecast outcome, we consider not only the common forecast error minimization approach but also the profit maximization at the end of the forecast horizon. Including profit in our assessment enables us to determine if error minimization always results in maximum profit. We also look at the different levels of profit margin to analyze their impact on the forecasting method performance. Our study also investigates how different demand patterns influence maximizing the forecasting method performance. Our study shows that the exponential smoothing model family has a better performance in high-profit products, and the rate of decrease in performance versus demand uncertainty is higher in a stationary demand environment.In the second essay, we focus on illicit drug overdose death rate. Illicit drug overdose deaths are the leading cause of injury death in the United States. In 2017, overdose death reached the highest ever recorded level (70,237), and statistics show that it is a growing problem. The age adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths in 2017 (21.7 per 100,000) is 9.6% higher than the rate in 2016 (19.8 per 100,000) (U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration, 2018, p. V). Also, Marijuana consumption among youth has increased since 2009. The magnitude of the illegal drug trade and its resulting problems have led the government to produce large and comprehensive datasets on a variety of phenomena relating to illicit drugs. In this study, we utilize these datasets to examine how marijuana usage among youth influence excessive drug usage. We measure excessive drug usage in terms of drug overdose death rate per state. Our study shows that illegal marijuana consumption increases excessive drug use. Also, we analyze the pattern of most frequently seized illicit drugs and compare it with drugs that are most frequently involved in a drug overdose death. We further our analysis to study seizure patterns across layers of heroin and cocaine supply chain across states. This analysis reveals that most active layers of the heroin supply chain in the American market are retailers and wholesalers, while multi-kilo traffickers are the most active players in the cocaine supply chain. In summary, the studies in this dissertation explore the use of analytical, descriptive, and predictive models to detect patterns to improve efficacy and initiate better operational management decision making.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The "War on Drugs" is the most expensive effort to control the personal behavior of American citizens. This study is an effort to analyze the battle over the meaning of cannabis. This "war" has waged on for the majority of the twentieth century and beyond. The federal government has utilized a variety of weapons in the "war" including most notably media. The government has succeeded in altering the definition of cannabis from hemp to marijuana.

Federal marijuana policy is constantly changing. This research analyzes the political forces behind these changes, emphasizing the policy per se rather than emphasizing the process by which policy-making occurs. The research is based on a policy-making framework that includes the following concepts: perception of the problem, pluralism, incrementalism, and policy cycles. Of major concern is the "problem perception" stage of this cycle, i.e., how perceptions of marijuana have affected policies toward that drug. Other drugs, particularly opiates, are analyzed only to the extent they affect marijuana policy. In the early 1800's drugs were widely used in America, and they were not perceived as a problem. Later, they were perceived as a medical problem. The Harrison Act of 1914 reflected these medical perceptions. But narcotics soon were perceived as a source of crime, and federal narcotics officials, through court procedures, used the Harrison Act to apply criminal sanctions to narcotics users, and to exclude doctors in private practice from treating drugs as a medical problem. In the 1930's marijuana was perceived by federal officials as a narcotic drug, and marijuana consumption was perceived as a criminal phenomenon. Therefore, the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 was modeled after the Harrison Act of 1914, with penalties for marijuana violations similar to those of narcotics violations. In 1951 and 1956, the Federal Bureau of Narcotics successfully lobbied to increase the criminal sanctions for marijuana violations, despite opposition presented by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. In the 1960's new perceptions began to emerge. The 1962 White House Conference called by President Kennedy critically evaluated existing policies toward narcotics and marijuana, and it suggested that drug consumption should be treated as a medical and social problem rather than as a criminal problem. A content analysis of Presidential messages in the 1960's indicates President Kennedy probably viewed drugs as a medical problem, and Presidents Johnson and Nixon viewed drugs as a criminal problem. The 1960's saw changes in perceptions toward drugs that subsequently led to policy changes. The Narcotic Addict Rehabilitation Act of 1966 provided for emphasis on medical treatment rather than criminal sanctions for narcotics users. This act reflects a change in perceptions of marijuana by allowing probation and suspended sentences for marijuana violations, thus drawing a distinction between the consequences of narcotics consumption and marijuana consumption. The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 was held to be a valid tax act by the Supreme Court, Litigants continued to attack the constitutionality of the act in their attempts to reverse convictions for violations of marijuana laws. Arguments based on freedom of religion, the right to privacy, the Equal Protection Clause, and cruel and unusual punishment were rejected. Timothy Leary's conviction was overturned, based on a self-incrimination argument, but the Court declined to expand this ruling. The Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 includes provisions indicating a change in perceptions toward marijuana. Of particular importance is the provision allowing federal courts to grant probation for certain marijuana offenses, and then to expunge the offender's record of any reference to criminal sanctions for such offenses. Changes in marijuana policy have been incremental, even in recent legislation. Two groups have been responsible for most of the political conflict and policy related to marijuana. These are the Bureau of Narcotics and the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Private groups have been vocal but not influential. Litigants have had limited success in courts due to the lack of a united effort.

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of crack use among adolescents living in a large southwestern city, and to study relationships between crack use and marijuana use. This included investigating reasons as well as associated circumstances for both crack use and marijuana use; and whether marijuana use would predict crack use. High school seniors (N = 269) were asked to disclose information about their marijuana (and hashish) use and non-use, and crack use and non-use. Preliminary computation of the results revealed only 2.6% of respondents indicating crack use; thus statistical analysis of that data was not warranted. Computation of the results indicated 34% of respondents reporting marijuana use; therefore, the focus of the study shifted to marijuana exclusively, resulting in a final sample size of n = 92. Two specific phenomena were investigated: crack use and marijuana use. Discriminant analysis of the data was performed to (1) measure differences in frequencies (indicated as "seldom" and "occasionally") of respondents' marijuana use a predicted by particular circumstances and reasons for its use; and (2) to measure whether students' marijuana use would predict crack use. Statistical significance using Chi square and canonical correlation was calculated for each set of variables. Chi square (5) = 46.10 yielded significance (p <.001) for five of nine circumstances as predictors of marijuana use: "At a party" was the best discriminating variable. Chi square (4) = 36.73 yielded significance (p <.001) for four of thirteen reasons as predictors of marijuana use; "To get high" was the best discriminating reasons variable. The study succeeded in determining several drug-related attributions: (1) there is one-third less prevalence of crack use among adolescents in the area being researched than is reported nationally; (2) there is about the same prevalence of marijuana use as nationally reported; (3) there are specific associated circumstances which predict frequency of marijuana use; and (4) there are specific associated reasons which predict frequency of marijuana use. Finally, although it is not data-based, marijuana appears to be a predictor of crack use, i.e., all seven crack users reported having used marijuana prior to crack use.

Background: Dabbing is an emerging method of marijuana ingestion. However, little is known about dabbing owing to limited surveillance data on dabbing. Objective: The aim of the study was to analyze Google search data to assess the scope and breadth of information seeking on dabbing. Methods: Google Trends data about dabbing and related topics (eg, electronic nicotine delivery system [ENDS], also known as e-cigarettes) in the United States between January 2004 and December 2015 were collected by using relevant search terms such as "dab rig." The correlation between dabbing (including topics: dab and hash oil) and ENDS (including topics: vaping and e-cigarette) searches, the regional distribution of dabbing searches, and the impact of cannabis legalization policies on geographical location in 2015 were analyzed. Results: Searches regarding dabbing increased in the United States over time, with 1,526,280 estimated searches during 2015. Searches for dab and vaping have very similar temporal patterns, where the Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) is .992 (P<.001). Similar phenomena were also obtained in searches for hash oil and e-cigarette, in which the corresponding PCC is .931 (P<.001). Dabbing information was searched more in some western states than other regions. The average dabbing searches were significantly higher in the states with medical and recreational marijuana legalization than in the states with only medical marijuana legalization (P=.02) or the states without medical and recreational marijuana legalization (P=.01). Conclusions: Public interest in dabbing is increasing in the United States. There are close associations between dabbing and ENDS searches. The findings suggest greater popularity of dabs in the states that legalized medical and recreational marijuana use. This study proposes a novel and timely way of cannabis surveillance, and these findings can help enhance the understanding of the popularity of dabbing and provide insights for future research and informed policy making on dabbing.

"Mémoire présenté à la Faculté des études supérieures en vue de l'obtention du grade de Maîtrise en droit, option recherche (LL.M.)" / La marijuana existe dans l'environnement humain depuis des milliers d'années, tant pour ses usages récréatifs que médicaux. Pour ces derniers, elle tend à être de plus en plus valorisée; voire considérée comme un produit « non dangereux» et même bénéfique. Pourtant, ses vertus médicinales soulèvent toujours interrogations et controverses au sein du monde médical et scientifique. Ce mémoire examine l'encadrement normatif applicable à l'utilisation de la marijuana à des fins médicales. Dans un premier temps, il présente de façon simplifiée la composition chimique de cette plante et évoque l'histoire mondiale de la marijuana. Le chapitre II expose les Conventions internationales adoptées pour surveiller la production, la distribution et l'usage de marijuana. Le chapitre III est consacré à la législation européenne et en particulier à celle de la France, de la Suisse, du Royaume-Uni et des Pays-Bas. Enfin, la situation en Amérique du Nord est présentée dans le chapitre IV de façon à comparer la position des États-Unis et celle du Canada. Tout au long de ce mémoire, l'auteur note l'interaction entre le législatif et le judiciaire dans le débat entourant l'accès légal à la marijuana à des fins thérapeutiques. / The marijuana has been known to humanity for thousands of years, for its recreational as weil as medical uses. In this contexts, it seems to be seen as "not dangerous" and even useful. However, among medical and scientific experts, discussions still occur about its medical characteristics. This paper studies the normative structures applicable to the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Firstly, it presents in a simplified way the chemical composition of this plant and describes its history. Chapter II introduces the International Conventions adopted in order to supervise the production, distribution and use of marijuana. Chapter III is dedicated to the European legislation and in particular the situation in France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Finally, the situation in North America is presented in chapter IV comparing the positions of the United States of America and Canada. In this document, the author observes the interaction between the legislative regulations and the courts leading to the legal right to use marijuana for therapeutic purposes.

The idea that humans and laboratory animals can become physically dependent on marijuana or its primary psychoactive constituent, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is gaining acceptance. However, there are no currently approved pharmacotherapies to treat cannabinoid withdrawal. The objective of this thesis was to evaluate whether elevating endogenous anandamide levels using mice lacking fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), the enzyme responsible for anandamide metabolism, would ameliorate THC dependence. Mice were treated subchronically with a low or high THC dosing regimen and challenged with the CB1 receptor antagonist, rimonabant, to precipitate withdrawal. Following subchronic THC treatment, rimonabant precipitated a significant increase in paw flutters that was dependent on THC dose. However, FAAH-/- mice displayed a similar magnitude of withdrawal responses as wild type control mice, regardless of subchronic dosing regimen. Finally, rimonabant was equipotent in precipitating withdrawal responses in both genotypes. Collectively, these results demonstrate that FAAH-/- and +/+ mice show identical THC dependence, thus arguing against the notion that elevating anandamide levels through FAAH suppression will reduce cannabinoid withdrawal.

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Magister Artium - MA / This study employed a social constructionist understanding of ‘identity’ to identify key markers of gendered ‘stoner’ identity and to consider how gendered ‘stoner’ identity is performed on a Western Cape campus. The aim was not simply to consider how they see themselves, but also how they are considered through the lenses and perception of non-smoking students at campus. In trying to understand the gendered experiences of ‘stoners’, this research was grounded in a feminist theoretical perspective and feminist methodological approaches to explore gendered constructions of ‘stoner’ identity at this Western Cape campus. The data for this study was collected through conducting two focus group discussions, and six semi structured, in-depth interviews with six male and six female students from a range of locations across campus. The participants in this study who smoke marijuana/weed did not reject the term ‘stoner’, rather, they claimed this identity, labelling themselves ‘stoners’. My research shows that ‘stoner’ identities both transgress and reinforce normative femininities and masculinities.

Este estudo teve como objetivo comparar padrões de percepções e de conhecimento sobre maconha em profissionais da área da saúde mental (psiquiatras, psicólogos, assistentes sociais, terapeutas ocupacionais e enfermeiros) em três instituições de diferentes perfis: Hospital Nossa Senhora de Fátima (Hospital filantrópico filiado ao SUS), CAPS-AD (Serviço especializado no atendimento de álcool e drogas do SUS) e Hospital das Clinicas - Instituto de Psiquiatria (Serviço acadêmico e assistencial). Setenta profissionais foram avaliados através de um questionário elaborado pelos pesquisadores composto de trinta e uma afirmativas. Dentre os resultados obtidos, observou-se que os psiquiatras tendem a discordar mais que os outros profissionais quanto à necessidade de tratamento para uso de maconha e que a maconha traz prejuízos cognitivos. Os profissionais do hospital Nossa Senhora de Fátima apresentaram uma percepção mais a favor da proibição da maconha e valorizam mais os possíveis prejuízos associados ao uso comparados aos profissionais das outras duas instituições. Conclui-se que a percepção dos profissionais varia de acordo com a profissão e local de trabalho. / The aim of this study was to compare mental health professionals - psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists and nurses - perception and knowledge standards on marijuana in three institutions with different profiles: Nossa Senhora de Fátima Hospital (Philanthropic Hospital affiliated to SUS), CAPS-AD (service specialized on treating drugs and alcohol dependents - SUS) and the Institute of Psychiatry at the Clinics Hospital (academic and assistance service). Seventy professionals were evaluated through questionnaire developed by the researchers that contains thirty one affirmatives. As part of the results, it was noticeable that the psychiatrists disagreed more often than other health professionals on the need to treat marijuana use and the idea that it causes cognitive damages. The professionals at Nossa Senhora de Fátima Hospital were more in favor of the prohibition of marijuana use and value more the possible damages associated with its use when compared to professionals of the other two institutions. The conclusion is that the perception may vary according to the profession and work place.