2023

breath, water-sensitive paper, glass, silica gel, rubber, list of questions, each 4″x4″

Use Cases is the visual evidence of the interaction between me and a marijuana user talking about their habits and reasons behind using as well as their perception of impairment. Isat down with six people each for about an hour to ask them questions while they breathed and talked into a glass globe lined with water-sensitive paper. The glass globes on display contain the paper they breathed and talked onto, faced outward in the glass globes they held. Each globe contains their half of the conversation.

This piece was created as part of the Artist + Research (ARx2) project organized by the Phoenix BioScience Core. I worked together with researchers from Electratect who are developing a marijuana breathalyzer. For more extensive information on my collaboration with Dr. Christina Forbes and Dr. Evan Darzi at Electratect, visit the PBC ARx2 project page.

Please note: this work was irrevocably damaged during installation and is not available for display.

Questions asked during interview (although other questions were asked, too):

How often do you use?
Do you consider yourself a habitual or occasional user?
How do you consume THC (edible, smoke, etc)?
When did you start using (time period)?
Why did you start using?
Why do you continue to use?
Under what circumstances do you typically use?
What rules do you have for yourself about using?
What does it mean to you to be impaired?
What are some things you won’t or can’t do while using?
Is there anything you do after using to assure you won’t be impaired at work, while driving, with your kids, etc?
Do you know how long THC stays in your bloodstream?
What do you think would happen if you were pulled over and the officer thought you were high?
How would you feel if you had to take a random drug test at work?
What do you think would happen if you tested positive?
Does the current testing for marijuana use determine if you are impaired?
What is the thing or things you like most about using THC?