Most college students who co-used cannabis and tobacco stayed in the same use pattern over three years
Among 4,448 Texas college students, four distinct cannabis-tobacco co-use patterns emerged, and most students remained in their initial pattern from 2016 to 2019, suggesting these behaviors become entrenched early.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Four latent classes emerged: non-use (58%), general use of all substances (19%), blunt and cannabis use (13%), and concurrent/co-administration use with cigarettes, cannabis, blunts, and spliffs (10%). Most students remained in the same class from 2016 to 2019, indicating stable co-use patterns over time.
Key Numbers
4,448 participants; 4 classes: non-use 58%, general use 19%, blunt/cannabis 13%, concurrent co-administration 10%; most students remained in same class 2016-2019; 64.2% female; 64.7% non-white; mean age 20.5
How They Did This
Longitudinal cohort study of 4,448 young adults (64.2% female, 64.7% non-white, mean age 20.5) at Texas colleges, assessed for past 30-day tobacco, cannabis, and co-administration use. Latent Markov models estimated class membership and transitions from 2016 to 2019.
Why This Research Matters
The stability of co-use patterns suggests that once young adults establish cannabis-tobacco co-use behaviors in college, they are unlikely to change without intervention.
The Bigger Picture
Cannabis-tobacco co-use is associated with worse health outcomes than either substance alone. The finding that co-use patterns solidify during college years underscores the importance of early, integrated prevention programs.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Texas-specific sample may not generalize to other states; self-reported substance use; attrition over 3 years not detailed; cannot determine what drives class stability versus transition; legal context may differ across states
Questions This Raises
- ?What distinguishes students who transition between classes from those who stay stable?
- ?Would targeted interventions during freshman year be more effective than later approaches?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 4,448 college students; co-use patterns stable over 3 years
- Evidence Grade:
- Large longitudinal cohort with sophisticated latent class modeling, though limited to Texas colleges and self-reported data.
- Study Age:
- 2024 publication analyzing 2016-2019 data
- Original Title:
- Longitudinal patterns of cannabis and tobacco co-administration and concurrent use among young adult college students.
- Published In:
- Addictive behaviors, 148, 107871 (2024)
- Authors:
- Kreitzberg, Daniel S, Pasch, Keryn E(2), Loukas, Alexandra(3)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05439
Evidence Hierarchy
Watches what happens naturally without intervening.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
What cannabis-tobacco co-use patterns exist among college students?
Four distinct patterns emerged: most students (58%) did not use either substance; 19% used a variety of products at low levels; 13% primarily used cannabis and blunts; and 10% were heavy co-users of cigarettes, cannabis, blunts, and spliffs.
Did students change their use patterns over time?
Mostly not. Students generally stayed in the same co-use category from 2016 to 2019, suggesting these patterns become established early in college and are resistant to change without specific intervention.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05439APA
Kreitzberg, Daniel S; Pasch, Keryn E; Loukas, Alexandra. (2024). Longitudinal patterns of cannabis and tobacco co-administration and concurrent use among young adult college students.. Addictive behaviors, 148, 107871. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107871
MLA
Kreitzberg, Daniel S, et al. "Longitudinal patterns of cannabis and tobacco co-administration and concurrent use among young adult college students.." Addictive behaviors, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107871
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Longitudinal patterns of cannabis and tobacco co-administrat..." RTHC-05439. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/kreitzberg-2024-longitudinal-patterns-of-cannabis
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.