SAFE GC Coalition: Cannabis Use Patterns May Help Identify Addiction Risk

According to a new research study conducted by NYU Langone Health, nearly half of adults in the United States who use cannabis mainly smoke it, but about 1 in 7 use it in nearly every form available, a behavior tied to daily cannabis use and increased addiction risk.

The study showed that 48% mainly smoked, 21% both smoked and vaped, 17% mainly used edibles, and 14%, the "polymodal group," used cannabis in nearly every form. Published in the Journal Addictive Behaviors, the study showed that about half of the polymodal group used cannabis every day. By comparison, 28% of those who mostly smoked, 31% of those who smoked and vaped, and about 13% of those who mostly ate edibles used cannabis every day.

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Cannabis can be consumed by smoking, vaping, eating or dabbing, a practice in which people heat cannabis concentrates and inhale the vapor. According to recent national survey data, about 43.8 million people in the U.S. ages 12 and older (more than 15%) had used cannabis in the past 30 days.

Cannabis use disorder, the clinical term for related addiction, followed the same pattern, affecting about 67% of polymodal users versus 36% of those who primarily smoked, 47% of those who smoked and vaped, and 15% of those who mainly consumed edibles.

Researchers say their findings suggest that using cannabis in multiple forms may be a red flag for heavier use and symptoms of addiction and asking patients not only whether but how they use cannabis could help clinicians identify when a fuller assessment may be warranted.

In the first national study to examine how these methods naturally cluster, the researchers analyzed data from 17,732 adults who reported using cannabis in the past month on the 2022–2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The authors used a statistical approach that grouped participants based on their reported patterns. The results also revealed that types of cannabis users varied demographically. Nearly 1 in 3 people in the smoking-and-vaping and polymodal groups were young adults ages 18–25, compared with about 1 in 6 of those who mainly smoked. More than half of the edibles group were women, and edibles were especially prevalent among college graduates.

Another key finding was that people who smoked cannabis were more likely to also smoke cigarettes than those who mainly vaped or used edibles. Both cigarette and cannabis smoke involve combustion (burning), which compromises lung health so doing both may add to their overall health risks. The strong tie between smoking cannabis and smoking cigarettes is of concern because this subset of people are breathing in a wider range of chemicals via combustion, and their lungs are at risk.

Researchers maintain public health messages about cannabis still focus mostly on smoking, but people now use the drug in many ways. For younger adults, that means talking about the risks of vaping and combining multiple forms of cannabis, while for people who prefer edibles, the message is to 'start low and go slow' because the effects take time to kick in. Future research efforts will examine why people choose one method over another—for example, whether those who favor edibles are using cannabis for pain or sleep.

SAFE is the only alcohol and substance use prevention agency in Glen Cove whose mission is to eliminate alcohol and substance use in Glen Cove. Its Coalition is concerned about cannabis use- especially in youth as their brains are developing. The Coalition is conducting a prevention awareness campaign entitled "Keeping Glen Cove SAFE; Underage Cannabis/Marijuana Use," to educate and update the community regarding marijuana use and its negative consequences. To learn more please about the Coalition please follow us on www.facebook.com/safeglencovecoalition or visit SAFE's website to learn more about Cannabis/Marijuana use at www.safeglencove.org.