Cannabis Users Took Fewer Hits of Concentrates Than Flower, But Heavy Users Chose Stronger Products | Research

The takeaway

Cannabis users consumed smaller amounts of high-potency concentrates compared to flower, showing some self-titration, but those who preferred higher-potency products within a category consumed more, not less.

Cannabis policy researchers, addiction researchers, cannabis consumers

59-92% of users consumed less concentrate than flower, but high-potency preference predicted larger amounts consumed

What the researchers found

When switching between product types (flower vs. concentrates), 59-92% of users consumed larger amounts of flower than concentrates, suggesting self-titration across products. However, within a single product type, users who chose higher-THC versions consumed them in larger amounts, more frequently, and had started using cannabis at a younger age.

Why it matters

The self-titration hypothesis suggests cannabis users naturally adjust their intake to maintain a consistent THC dose. This study partially supports it: users do take fewer hits of concentrates than flower, but the finding that heavy users seek out AND consume more of higher-potency products within a category challenges the idea that titration fully protects against escalating exposure.

The numbers in context

8,158 participants; 52% female; 73% daily use; mean age 42; flower-only users: 8-14 hits vs. concentrate-only: 5-8 hits; within-product correlations between potency and amount: rs = 0.07-0.29 for flower, rs = 0.09-0.25 for concentrates; higher potency also correlated with more frequent use and earlier initiation

How the study worked

Four online surveys of 8,158 US cannabis consumers reporting past-month flower and/or concentrate use. Participants reported typical amounts (hits or grams) and potencies (%THC). Researchers analyzed potency-amount relationships within-subject/between-product and between-subject/within-product.

What this study cannot tell us

Self-reported amounts and potencies, online convenience sample skewed toward daily users (73%), cross-sectional design cannot determine directionality, does not measure actual THC blood levels to verify titration

How to read the evidence

Large national sample with multiple surveys, but self-reported data and overrepresentation of daily users limit generalizability

When this study was published

Published 2025

The bigger picture

As cannabis legalization expands access to high-potency products, the self-titration debate has major policy implications. This study suggests users do partially adjust, but that the highest-risk users (early initiators, frequent users) actually consume more of the strongest products, not less.

Questions still open

Does partial self-titration meaningfully reduce health risks from high-potency products? Would potency caps change consumption patterns? Is the tendency to consume more of stronger products a marker of cannabis use disorder?

Common questions

Do cannabis users naturally adjust their dose when using stronger products?

Partly. Most users took fewer hits of concentrates than flower, showing between-product self-titration. But within a product type, people who used higher-THC versions consumed more, not less, suggesting titration has limits.

Who uses the most cannabis?

Users who preferred higher-potency versions of a given product type consumed them in larger amounts, used cannabis more frequently, and tended to have started using at a younger age.

Read the original research

Self-titration of cannabis consumption: An epidemiological perspective.

Journal of psychiatric research, 191, 527-534

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Borodovsky, Jacob T; Murphy, Eilis; Hasin, Deborah S; Livne, Ofir; Wall, Melanie; Aharonovich, Efrat; Wisell, Caroline; Struble, Cara A; Habib, Mohammad I; Budney, Alan J. (2025). Self-titration of cannabis consumption: An epidemiological perspective.. Journal of psychiatric research, 191, 527-534. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.09.014