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Friday, September 28, 2018 (HealthDay News) – New studies show that American teens eat everything from cigarettes to beverages to the consumption of marijuana-based foods.
The study, conducted with high school students from the Los Angeles area, found that about one-third of people had already used marijuana. And most of them had used it in more ways than one.
Smoking was the most popular, but many children also took the drug through "edible products" or "vaping" – where inhaled, smoke-free cannabis cans are used with electronic cigarettes.
The findings are worrisome for several reasons, said lead researcher Adam Leventhal, a professor at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
"Smoking has traditionally deterred some kids from trying marijuana," Leventhal said. "They do not like the taste or the burning of the throat."
On the other hand, he said, children can be easily attracted to "alternative" methods of using the drug – such as gelatin cubs enriched with cannabis extracts or flavored vaping such as chewing gum.
Leventhal pointed to another potential concern: If teens use multiple forms of marijuana – and have greater exposure to their active ingredient – could this increase the probabilities of chronic problem use?
Previous studies have shown that teens who consume marijuana are at greater risk of developing marijuana use disorders in adulthood, Leventhal said. Some research has also suggested that they might have slightly lower IQ scores or poorer memory and attention.
However, it is not clear if the use of several types of marijuana could exacerbate the effects, according to Leventhal.
The findings are based on a survey of 3,200 10-year-old students from 10 schools in the Los Angeles area.
In total, 34% reported having already used marijuana. Smoking was the most common method, but almost 62% of patients had taken the drug in at least two forms.
About 8% of all children who had used marijuana had tried all three methods of the survey: tobacco, vape and food.
The results were published online September 28 in the journal JAMA Network Open.
According to Joseph Palamar, an associate professor of population health at NYU Langone Health in New York, the study leaves unanswered questions.
Palamar noted that the survey had been conducted before California legalized marijuana for recreational purposes – and it is unclear if and how this could be related to the use by adolescents of different products.
"It would be interesting to see how the use of different products will evolve over time, as the policy changes," said Palamar, who did not participate in the research.
Similarly, it is unclear whether the models observed in Los Angeles high schools reflect other regions of the country, he added.
Both researchers said similar investigations in other states would be useful, especially as the trend towards legalization develops.
Recreational use is not legal for minors. But, explained Leventhal, legalization may give some children the impression that marijuana is harmless.
This is not the case, however. Palamar warned about food products in particular because it is easy for children to ingest large amounts of the drug.
"A lot of people eat too much, especially when the effects take time to show up," Palamar said. "If you eat too much, there's no turning back and you're stuck with all the effects – unlike the smoking weed, where users can at least titrate their doses."
The bad news for parents, said Leventhal, is that it's harder to tell when their kids are using food or vapotent as opposed to smoking pot.
"With tobacco, you can smell it, or you could find the grass bag," he said. "But the gummy bears with cannabis extracts look like gummy bears."
Palamar accepted. "Parents and teachers can no longer rely on the" smell test "."
Leventhal suggested that parents talk to their children about marijuana use in all its forms, including that foods and vapors should not be presumed "safe".
More information
For facts about marijuana for teens, visit the US National Institute on Drug Abuse.
SOURCES: Adam Leventhal, Ph.D., Professor of Preventive Medicine and Psychology at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles; Joseph Palamar, Ph.D., M.P.H., Associate Professor of Population Health, NYU Langone Health, New York; September 28, 2018, JAMA Network Openonline
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