Black Americans with Low Income Face Highest Rates of Blunt Use
Black/African American adults with low socioeconomic status or mental health conditions had up to five times higher odds of blunt use compared to non-Black adults with higher SES, with disparities growing with age.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Compared to non-Black adults with high SES, those identifying as Black/African American with low SES had 5.1 times higher odds of blunt use (aOR=5.10, 95% CI=4.16-6.26), with similar magnitudes for those with internalizing (aOR=4.83) or externalizing conditions (aOR=4.74).
Key Numbers
N=30,516 US adults; 8.4% of young adults (18-34) and 1.4% of adults 35+ used blunts; B/AA + low SES aOR=5.10; B/AA + high internalizing aOR=4.83; B/AA + externalizing aOR=4.74; disparities larger in 35+ age group
How They Did This
Analysis of Wave 6 (2021) Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study data from 30,516 US adults, using weighted multivariable logistic regression examining blunt use by race, mental health, and SES intersections, stratified by age group.
Why This Research Matters
Blunts combine tobacco and cannabis health risks, and these stark disparities highlight how intersecting identities create compounding vulnerability that single-factor analyses miss.
The Bigger Picture
Addressing blunt use requires understanding how racial, economic, and mental health factors intersect — single-axis interventions may miss the populations at highest risk.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design limits causal inference; self-reported data; binary race categorization (B/AA vs non-B/AA) masks heterogeneity; blunt use definition may vary; 2021 data collected during COVID-19 pandemic.
Questions This Raises
- ?What drives the increasing disparity with age?
- ?Would interventions targeting economic factors reduce blunt use?
- ?How does cannabis-only use compare across the same intersections?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Large nationally representative sample with intersectional analysis, but cross-sectional design and self-reported measures limit causal conclusions.
- Study Age:
- Published 2026; uses 2021 PATH Study data.
- Original Title:
- Inequities in blunt use across multiple socio-demographic intersections among US adults.
- Published In:
- Drug and alcohol dependence, 279, 113019 (2026)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-08282
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Who uses blunts the most in the US?
Young adults ages 18-34 have the highest rates (8.4%), with Black/African American individuals with low income or mental health conditions having up to 5 times higher odds of use compared to non-Black, higher-SES peers.
Are blunts more harmful than other cannabis methods?
Blunts combine cannabis with tobacco cigar wraps, exposing users to both tobacco and cannabis health risks simultaneously — making them a particular health equity concern for disproportionately affected communities.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-08282APA
Glasser, Allison M; Jensen, Jessica K; Sterling, Kymberle L; Villanti, Andrea C. (2026). Inequities in blunt use across multiple socio-demographic intersections among US adults.. Drug and alcohol dependence, 279, 113019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2025.113019
MLA
Glasser, Allison M, et al. "Inequities in blunt use across multiple socio-demographic intersections among US adults.." Drug and alcohol dependence, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2025.113019
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Inequities in blunt use across multiple socio-demographic in..." RTHC-08282. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/glasser-2026-inequities-in-blunt-use
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.