Analysis of the 2022 national drug survey found most US cannabis users consumed more than one type of product, with smoking remaining dominant but edibles, vaping, and dabbing increasingly common among both adults and adolescents.
Public health researchers, harm reduction professionals, and cannabis policy analysts
Majority of users consumed multiple product types
What the researchers found
Among cannabis users surveyed in the 2022 NSDUH, the majority used more than one cannabis product type. Eight routes of administration were examined: smoking, vaping, eating/drinking, dabbing, drops/lozenges, topical, pills, and other. Prevalence patterns were fairly consistent between adults and adolescents, and individual-level factors associated with use varied by route of administration.
Why it matters
Different routes of cannabis administration carry different risks. Understanding who uses which products can help target harm reduction messaging and clinical screening to the right populations.
The numbers in context
Eight product types examined; majority of both adult and adolescent users consumed multiple product types; prevalence patterns consistent across age groups; individual-level correlates varied by route of administration
How the study worked
Analysis of 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data examining prevalence and correlates of eight cannabis product types and a cannabis variety scale among nationally representative samples of adult and adolescent cannabis users.
What this study cannot tell us
Cross-sectional survey data; self-reported use without verification; cannot determine frequency or quantity by product type; 2022 data from a single year; does not capture product potency or specific cannabinoid content
How to read the evidence
Nationally representative survey data with comprehensive product type assessment, though cross-sectional and self-reported.
When this study was published
2024 publication analyzing 2022 NSDUH data
The bigger picture
The diversification of cannabis products through legal dispensaries has created a complex consumption landscape where most users are multi-product consumers, complicating both research and public health messaging.
Questions still open
- Do multi-product users face greater health risks than single-product users? How should harm reduction messaging account for the dominant multi-product use pattern?
Common questions
How many cannabis product types do most users consume?
Do teens and adults use the same types of products?
Read the original research
The many forms of cannabis use: Prevalence and correlates of routes of administration among nationally representative samples of U.S. adult and adolescent cannabis users.
Addictive behaviors, 159, 108146
Citation
Leal, Wanda E; Moscrop-Blake, Kelsi. (2024). The many forms of cannabis use: Prevalence and correlates of routes of administration among nationally representative samples of U.S. adult and adolescent cannabis users.. Addictive behaviors, 159, 108146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2024.108146
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