Understanding Virginians’ Preparedness to Engage in Problem Gambling and Marijuana Use Prevention: Findings from the 2022 Community Readiness Assessments

Abstract

With the legalization of recreational marijuana, as well as sports betting and other changes that have expanded opportunities for gambling in Virginia, the Office of Behavioral Health Wellness (OBHW) within the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) received funding to support prevention efforts targeted towards these two areas through SAMHSA’s state prevention block grant and through gambling tax revenues in Virginia. As a first step, OBHW, in partnership with OMNI Institute (OMNI)—a non-profit research and evaluation firm that supports evaluation and capacity building for the prevention block grant—worked with Community Service Boards (CSBs) to conduct two readiness assessments: one on the commonwealth’s gambling and gaming behaviors, knowledge, attitudes, and environment; and a second on marijuana related behaviors, knowledge, attitudes, and environment. Both of these assessments, along with a gaming and gambling environmental scan, will be used to help determine priorities for efforts to prevent marijuana use disorders and problem gambling and gaming disorders. As a part of each of these assessments, CSBs were asked to assess the readiness of their communities to address these issues. The Community Readiness Model was developed at the Tri-Ethnic Center at Colorado State University to assess how ready a community is to address an issue. The basic premise is that matching an intervention to a community’s level of readiness is essential for success. Efforts that are too ambitious are likely to fail because community members will not be ready or able to respond. To maximize chances for success, the Community Readiness Model offers tools to measure readiness and to develop stage-appropriate strategies.