Marijuana use, tobacco use, and the co-use of the substances is common in the young adult population. An important aspect to consider surrounding this use is the fact that many devices intended for tobacco use can also be used for marijuana use. Another aspect with these substances is the increasing trends of vaping and the changing marijuana policies across the United States. What this study aimed to do was to look at the prevalence of U.S. young adults tobacco and marijuana use and how it may be associated with substance use problems.
To complete the study, participants were used from a study called Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study. The study design consisted of questionnaires that centered around tobacco and health in young adults (18-24 years old). Researchers took data from the first two waves of this study and created a third wave for their study. During this third wave, the researchers asked participants questions about “ever” marijuana use and “ever” cigar product use for marijuana. They also asked if patients had every used electronic nicotine devices or a hookah to smoke marijuana. During all waves, questions were asked about tobacco and marijuana use.
What the researchers found was that around half of the young adults had used marijuana before. Among those who had used marijuana, almost all had used a tobacco product/device for marijuana use. These products included electronic nicotine devices, hookahs, and cigars. This information provides valuable insight into how young adults are using marijuana. Understanding this can provide guidance into informing young adults on the dangers of using tobacco devices for marijuana use and provide public health interventions.
Take Away: Tobacco use, marijuana use, and co-use of these substances is prevalent among young adults across the United States. This study aims to find how common it is for young adults to use tobacco products/devices when using marijuana. They took participants and data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study and created a third waves of questions. They asked about marijuana use, tobacco use, and tobacco product/device use for marijuana. What they found was that most marijuana users did in fact use a product such as an electronic nicotine device, hookah, or cigar when using marijuana. This information is important when informing young adults about the risks and providing public health interventions.