Oil and Concentrate Users Had the Most Problematic Cannabis Use Patterns
Among 4,031 US young adults, those who moderately used oils and concentrates had the highest rates of problematic use, worst mental health, and were nearly 4 times more likely to drive after combined cannabis-alcohol use.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Four cannabis use classes emerged: infrequent-herb/edibles (41.4%), moderate-herb (28.0%), frequent-herb (16.8%), and moderate-oil/other (13.8%). The moderate-oil/other group reported the most problematic use, worst mental health, lowest quitting confidence, and highest odds of driving after cannabis-alcohol co-use (AOR=3.98). Paradoxically, frequent-herb users reported less problematic use than moderate-herb users.
Key Numbers
4,031 young adults, 48.8% past-month use. Moderate-oil/other (13.8%): highest problematic use (B=0.39), lowest quitting confidence (B=-1.27), most mental health symptoms (B=1.03), driving after co-use AOR=3.98. Frequent-herb reported less problematic use than moderate-herb (B=-0.18).
How They Did This
Latent class analysis of 2023 survey data from 4,031 US young adults (mean age 26.3, 48.8% past-month use). Indicators included days used, frequency per day, and type usually used. Regressions examined class associations with problematic use, quitting factors, and mental health.
Why This Research Matters
Not all cannabis use is the same. The type of product matters as much as frequency, with oil and concentrate users showing a distinct risk profile that warrants targeted prevention messaging.
The Bigger Picture
The cannabis product landscape has diversified far beyond flower. Oils, concentrates, and other high-potency products appear to carry distinct risk profiles. Prevention efforts focused only on frequency may miss users whose product choice puts them at higher risk.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design. Self-reported measures. Cannot determine whether product type drives risk or whether risk-prone individuals select certain products. Young adult sample may not generalize.
Questions This Raises
- ?What about oils and concentrates drives problematic use?
- ?Is it potency, ease of use, or user characteristics?
- ?Would product-specific education reduce these risks?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 4x higher odds of driving after cannabis-alcohol co-use for oil/concentrate users
- Evidence Grade:
- Moderate: large sample with sophisticated latent class analysis, but cross-sectional design and self-reported outcomes
- Study Age:
- Published in 2025 using 2023 survey data
- Original Title:
- Cannabis use characteristics and associations with problematic use outcomes, quitting-related factors, and mental health among US young adults.
- Published In:
- Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy, 20(1), 1 (2025)
- Authors:
- Berg, Carla J(27), LoParco, Cassidy R(26), Romm, Katelyn F(14), Cui, Yuxian, McCready, Darcey M, Wang, Yan, Yang, Y Tony, Szlyk, Hannah S, Kasson, Erin, Chakraborty, Rishika, Cavazos-Rehg, Patricia A
- Database ID:
- RTHC-06050
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Are oils and concentrates more risky than flower?
In this study, moderate users of oils and concentrates had higher rates of problematic use, worse mental health, and were nearly 4 times more likely to drive after combined cannabis-alcohol use compared to moderate flower users. Product type appears to matter for risk.
Why did frequent flower users report less problematic use?
Paradoxically, frequent-herb users reported less problematic use than moderate-herb users. This may reflect that daily flower users have developed tolerance and stable use patterns, while moderate users may be in a more variable and potentially escalating phase.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-06050APA
Berg, Carla J; LoParco, Cassidy R; Romm, Katelyn F; Cui, Yuxian; McCready, Darcey M; Wang, Yan; Yang, Y Tony; Szlyk, Hannah S; Kasson, Erin; Chakraborty, Rishika; Cavazos-Rehg, Patricia A. (2025). Cannabis use characteristics and associations with problematic use outcomes, quitting-related factors, and mental health among US young adults.. Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy, 20(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-025-00634-0
MLA
Berg, Carla J, et al. "Cannabis use characteristics and associations with problematic use outcomes, quitting-related factors, and mental health among US young adults.." Substance abuse treatment, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-025-00634-0
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cannabis use characteristics and associations with problemat..." RTHC-06050. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/berg-2025-cannabis-use-characteristics-and
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.