Vaporizing Cannabis/Marijuana: Trends for Health and Abuse Liability

NIDA

2014 – 2015

Alan J. Budney, PhD

Dustin C. Lee, PhD and Benjamin S. Crosier, PhD

Cannabis, or marijuana, is the most frequently used illicit drug with approximately 7.5% (or 19.8 million) of individuals in the United States over the age of 12 reporting current (past month) use in 2012. Approximately 8 million of these people use cannabis daily, and approximately 4 million appear to have problems related to their cannabis use (i.e., meet criteria for abuse and dependence).

Change in cannabis laws in several states has increased ease of access to cannabis, and may also have expanded the types of cannabis products and increased the potency of cannabis available. Perhaps related to this, the methods used to consume cannabis may also be changing.

Increases in production of high potency cannabis products including edibles (i.e. brownies, candies, tea) and cannabis oils have increased marketing of alternatives to conventional smoking of cannabis. Vaporizing (“vaping”) cannabis is one such alternative. Vaping cannabis involves heating cannabis to a temperature such that the psychoactive components of the drug can be released without causing combustion. Various types of cannabis vaporizers are available, and, depending on the device, can either vaporize cannabis plant material or cannabis oil. Similar to electronic cigarettes, cannabis vaporizers provide an alternative method of administration that may eliminate some of the deleterious side effects associated with conventional smoking (e.g., inhalation of carcinogenic compounds), which may be appealing to a larger portion of the population. How such perceived health benefits influences use and use patterns of cannabis may have important implications for both health and abuse liability.

The objective this study is to gather information about the onset, prevalence, frequency, and pattern of vaporizer use among cannabis users, and to better understand their preferences for and choices of alternative ways of using cannabis. Data is being collected with a series of web-based surveys targeting US adults using Facebook advertisements.

Preliminary results from an initial survey of 1,036 adults indicated that 72% of the sample endorsed ever vaping cannabis. Nearly every individual that reported vaping cannabis also reported smoking, indicating that dual use of smoking and vaping cannabis was the most common pattern of use. Those that vaped cannabis were younger, more likely to be male, initiated cannabis use at an earlier age, and were heavier users. Those that preferred vaping to smoking indicated that vaping was healthier, more discreet, tasted better and had better effects than smoking.

Trends in cannabis use are rapidly changing but are not yet well understood. Vaping cannabis may eliminate some of the negative health effects associated with smoking, however concerns remain that perceptions of vaping as safer, more discreet, and more efficient/pleasurable may lead to increased patterns of use and misuse, especially among youth and young adults.