Emerging Trends in Cannabis Administration Among Adolescent Cannabis Users

Introduction: The landscape of cannabis use in the United States is rapidly changing; use of high potency cannabis and novel administration methods, such as vaporizers and edibles, are on the rise while perceptions of harms associated with cannabis use are decreasing. The implications of increasing heterogeneity of cannabis products and decreasing harm perceptions are relatively unknown but the potential for increases in prevalence, frequency and quantity of cannabis use is of concern, especially among youth. This study investigated current cannabis use characteristics and trends in youth who are regular cannabis users, with a particular focus on vaporization (“vaping”).

Methods: A large, national sample of cannabis using adolescents (age 14-18; N = 2630) were recruited online through advertisements on Facebook. Adolescents in the sample had a mean age of 16.4 (SD = 1.1), were in grade 6 through first year of college, were 51% percent female, 79% Caucasian, and 43% lived with both parents. These youth completed a survey assessing past and current patterns of use and preferences for cannabis products and methods of administration.

Results: Among this sample of relatively heavy cannabis users, the most common method for administering cannabis was smoking (99% lifetime use), followed by edibles (61% lifetime use) and vaping (44% lifetime use). As for transition of methods, adolescents typically advanced from smoking, their first and preferred method used to administer cannabis, to using cannabis edibles and then to vaping cannabis. Vaping plant material (74%) and concentrates (68%) were reported at similar rates, and adolescents highly valued discretion afforded by vaping cannabis compared to smoking. This sample also reported high rates of lifetime tobacco use (83%), and mean age of initiation of cannabis via different methods and age of first use of other substances were compared.

Conclusions: This and prior studies indicate that social media is a useful platform to rapidly observe general trends in alternative routes of cannabis administration and relation of cannabis use with other substances. Additional research is warranted to replicate the observed findings using different types of sampling methods. If replicated, findings could have important implications for youth preventive and treatment interventions and regulatory guidelines.