How different ways of using cannabis affect outcomes depends on how often you use each method
The consequences of using edibles, vaping, or smoking cannabis varied depending on how frequently individuals used each specific method.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
People who used edibles infrequently experienced more negative consequences from edibles compared to smoking, while frequent edible users did not show this difference.
Key Numbers
338 participants completed daily assessments over 30 days. Six modes of use were tracked: smoking, vaping plant material, vaping concentrates, dabbing, edibles, and multiple modes.
How They Did This
30-day ecological momentary assessment study with 338 sexual minority women and gender diverse young adults, tracking cannabis use events in real time across different consumption modes.
Why This Research Matters
Most cannabis research treats all consumption as equal, but this study shows that the effects of different modes depend on individual usage patterns, suggesting harm reduction advice should account for personal experience with each method.
The Bigger Picture
As cannabis markets expand with more product types, understanding how experience with each consumption method shapes outcomes becomes increasingly relevant for both consumers and clinicians.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
The sample was limited to sexual minority women and gender diverse individuals assigned female at birth, so findings may not generalize to other populations. Self-reported data from daily assessments may be subject to recall bias.
Questions This Raises
- ?What specific protective behaviors do frequent users of particular modes develop?
- ?Do these patterns hold across different demographic groups?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Infrequent edible users experienced more consequences than frequent edible users
- Evidence Grade:
- Ecological momentary assessment provides real-time data, but the observational design and specific population limit causal claims and generalizability.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2025.
- Original Title:
- Event-Level Differences in Quantity, Frequency, and Consequences of Cannabis Use by Modes of Use Among Sexual Minority Women and Gender Diverse Individuals.
- Published In:
- Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs, 86(5), 714-723 (2025)
- Authors:
- Dyar, Christina(4), Green, Elise(3), Rhew, Isaac C(11), Lee, Christine M
- Database ID:
- RTHC-06385
Evidence Hierarchy
Watches what happens naturally without intervening.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does the way you consume cannabis change how it affects you?
This study found that the consequences of different consumption methods varied depending on how often someone used each specific method, suggesting that experience with a particular mode matters.
Are edibles riskier than smoking cannabis?
For infrequent edible users, the study found more negative consequences compared to smoking. However, frequent edible users did not show this pattern, suggesting familiarity with the method plays a role.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-06385APA
Dyar, Christina; Green, Elise; Rhew, Isaac C; Lee, Christine M. (2025). Event-Level Differences in Quantity, Frequency, and Consequences of Cannabis Use by Modes of Use Among Sexual Minority Women and Gender Diverse Individuals.. Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs, 86(5), 714-723. https://doi.org/10.15288/jsad.24-00348
MLA
Dyar, Christina, et al. "Event-Level Differences in Quantity, Frequency, and Consequences of Cannabis Use by Modes of Use Among Sexual Minority Women and Gender Diverse Individuals.." Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs, 2025. https://doi.org/10.15288/jsad.24-00348
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Event-Level Differences in Quantity, Frequency, and Conseque..." RTHC-06385. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/dyar-2025-eventlevel-differences-in-quantity
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.