As cannabis become legal across the country, there becomes more products available to use it. Young adults are typically the group that uses cannabis the most. Due to these two factors, the current study looks to estimate modes of use among university students and to quantify the association between these modes and cannabis-related risks.

The sample size of the study was 368 students between the ages of 17-26. Participants had to report using cannabis at some point during the previous 6 months. The first measure was frequency of cannabis use in the previous 30 days from never to everyday. The next measure was how they use cannabis along with which they use most regularly. Responses included joints, blunts, hand pipe, bong, hookah, vaporizer, or edibles. Other measures included the Brief Marijuana Consequences Questionnaire, the Cannabis-Use Disorder Identification Test-Revised, and simultaneous use of alcohol and cannabis.

Participants reported they used cannabis on an average of 7.5 days in the last month with 12% stating they used daily. The primary mode of use was joints (39%) followed by bongs (33%). 88% of participants reported using multiple modes of use with the average being 2.72. When bongs were the primary mode used, the average days of use was 12.8. Bongs as the primary mode also correlated to higher average levels of cannabis harm, more dependency symptoms, and had higher prevalence of simultaneous cannabis and alcohol use. Those who used a single mode had the lowest frequency of use, the fewest dependence symptoms, and lower simultaneous use of cannabis and alcohol. These findings point to how different modes impact cannabis use and that multimodal use may put users at a higher risk for cannabis use patterns.

Take Away: The current study looks to estimate modes of use among university students and to quantify the association between these modes and cannabis-related risks. The sample included 368 students reporting cannabis use over the last 6 months. Measures included frequency of use in the previous 30 days, mode of use, marijuana consequences, cannabis-use disorder, and simultaneous use of alcohol and cannabis. Participants reported they used cannabis on an average of 7.5 days in the last month. The primary mode of use was joints (39%) followed by bongs (33%). Bongs as the primary mode correlated to higher average levels of cannabis harm, more dependency symptoms, and had higher prevalence of simultaneous cannabis and alcohol use. Those who used a single mode had the lowest frequency of use, the fewest dependence symptoms, and lower simultaneous use of cannabis and alcohol. These findings point to how different modes impact cannabis use and that multimodal use may put users at a higher risk for cannabis use patterns.

Swan, C., Ferro, M. A., & Thompson, K. (2021). Does how you use matter? The link between mode of use and cannabis-related risk. Addictive Behaviors, 112, 106620. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106620