Utilizing Big Data and Twitter to Discover Emergent Online Communities of Cannabis Users

This study extends a novel method called stochastic block modeling to derive communities of cannabis consumers as part of a complex social network on Twitter. A set of examples illustrate how this method can ascertain candidate samples of medical, recreational, and illicit cannabis users. Implications for research planning, intervention design, and public health surveillance are discussed.
Source: Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment - Category: Addiction Authors: Source Type: research