Intricacies of Researching Cannabis Use and Use Disorders Among Veterans in the United States

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main psychoactive agent in the leaves of cannabis (marijuana) plants. Many synthetic cannabinoids have been recently developed. Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States; almost 20 million Americans currently consume cannabis. People who use cannabis may experience relaxation, euphoria, and mild hallucinogenic effects. Some may experience nausea and vomiting after use. Synthetic cannabinoids have been associated with more serious complications. Cessation after regular use may result in drug craving, insomnia, anorexia, and restlessness. Metabolites of THC can be detected in the urine up to 1 month after last use; some medications can cause false-positive tests. Serious medical complications of cannabis use are uncommon; the most concerning are neuropsychological problems among adolescent users and acute cognitive and motor impairment. Synthetic cannabinoid use is associated with significant neuropsychological effects. Psychosocial modalities appear to help those who wish to stop or reduce use. There are no medications that have been shown to be effective.

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Cannabis Use and the Onset of Cigarette and E-cigarette Use: A Prospective, Longitudinal Study Among Youth in the United States

Nicotine & Tobacco Research ◽

10.1093/ntr/ntaa158 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Andrea H Weinberger ◽

Jiaqi Zhu ◽

Joun Lee ◽

Shu Xu ◽

Renee D Goodwin

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Public Health Education ◽

The United States ◽

Unintended Consequences ◽

Cannabis Use ◽

Cigarette Use ◽

Prospective Longitudinal Study ◽

Logistic Regression Models ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Prospective Longitudinal

Abstract Introduction Cigarette use is declining among youth in the United States, whereas cannabis use and e-cigarette use are increasing. Cannabis use has been linked with increased uptake and persistence of cigarette smoking among adults. The goal of this study was to examine whether cannabis use is associated with the prevalence and incidence of cigarette, e-cigarette, and dual product use among U.S. youth. Methods Data included U.S. youth ages 12–17 from two waves of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study (Wave 1 youth, n = 13 651; Wave 1 tobacco-naive youth, n = 10 081). Weighted logistic regression models were used to examine the association between Wave 1 cannabis use and (1) Wave 1 prevalence of cigarette/e-cigarette use among Wave 1 youth and (2) Wave 2 incidence of cigarette/e-cigarette use among Wave 1 tobacco-naive youth. Analyses were run unadjusted and adjusted for demographics and internalizing/externalizing problem symptoms. Results Wave 1 cigarette and e-cigarette use were significantly more common among youth who used versus did not use cannabis. Among Wave 1 tobacco-naive youth, Wave 1 cannabis use was associated with significantly increased incidence of cigarette and e-cigarette use by Wave 2. Conclusions Youth who use cannabis are more likely to report cigarette and e-cigarette use, and cannabis use is associated with increased risk of initiation of cigarette and e-cigarette use over 1 year. Continued success in tobacco control—specifically toward reducing smoking among adolescents—may require focusing on cannabis, e-cigarette, and cigarette use in public health education, outreach, and intervention efforts. Implications These data extend our knowledge of cigarette and e-cigarette use among youth by showing that cannabis use is associated with increased prevalence and incidence of cigarette and e-cigarette use among youth, relative to youth who do not use cannabis. The increasing popularity of cannabis use among youth and diminished perceptions of risk, coupled with the strong link between cannabis use and tobacco use, may have unintended consequences for cigarette control efforts among youth.

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