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Most teenagers who have tried marijuana have used the drug in more than one form, including cannabis-based products that are smoked, eaten or steamed, according to new studies from the US. USC.
The study, published Friday in JAMA Network Open, raises concerns about adolescent health in a thriving cannabis market that praises elegantly packaged products and boasts a range of health benefits.
"Cannabis use in adolescence increases the risk of chronic use throughout adulthood, addiction, and cognitive development," said the principal author of the 39, study by Adam Leventhal, professor of preventive and psychological medicine and director of USC Health, Emotion and Addictions. of USC medicine.
"In recent years, the perception of teenagers has changed.The legalization and marketing of cannabis promotes the perception that this drug is not harmful," Leventhal said. "On the way to work, I'm passing a billboard for the delivery of marijuana directly to your home." Marijuana has become popular.
In a survey of 3,177 Grade 10 students in the Los Angeles area, Leventhal and his colleagues collected data via questionnaires in 10 high schools in the Los Angeles area from January to October 2015, three years before California's 2018 legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes.
Grade 10 students were asked, "Have you ever used the following substances in your life? Combustible cannabis was labeled as "smoking marijuana" (or weed, hashish, reefer or bud); vaping has been formulated as a liquid pot, a tampon or a pen against weeds; edible marijuana included beverages infused with THC (the psychoactive compound of cannabis), brownies, butter, and oil.
Of the 33.9% of students who reported having ever used cannabis, smoking was the most popular, followed by cannabis products, edible or vaporized. Most Grade 10 students (61.7%) who had ever used cannabis used several products to administer the drug.
Notably, 7.8% of cannabis users "never used" had never smoked pot, but rather ingested cannabis via edible products or steam.
"A key question is whether a new group of teenagers who have traditionally been exposed to the risk of smoking marijuana has been brought to use the drug in these alternative, non-smoking forms," said Leventhal, a researcher. corresponding author of the study. In other words, cannabis-based products, such as chewing gum-flavored liquid vapot, may be of interest to teenage users who would otherwise be diverted by the smell or strong sensation of smoking smoke. marijuana.
This study, funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (R01-DA033296), is part of an on-going project focusing on trends in substance use and mental health over time.
Previous Leventhal studies have shown that the use of digital media is related to behavioral and attention problems in children, and that higher concentrations of nicotine in the vaping liquid used by adolescents are associated with the consumption of traditional cigarettes.
The authors of the study include Leventhal, Jessica L. Barrington-Trimis from the Department of Preventive Medicine of the USC; Erica N. Peters of the Battelle Public Health Center for Tobacco Research, Battelle Memorial Institute, Baltimore; Dayoung Bae from the Family Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens; and Prantley P. Jarvis of NorthTide Group, LLC, Edgewood, Md.
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Material provided by University of Southern California. Original written by Leigh Hopper. Note: Content can be changed for style and length.
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