Profile of Adults Who Use Both Marijuana and E-Cigarettes in Utah

Adults who used both marijuana and vaping products were far more likely to be young, male, report poor mental health, and have respiratory conditions compared to single- or non-users.

Lewis, Nathaniel M et al.·Public health reports (Washington·2022·Moderate EvidenceCross-Sectional
RTHC-04002Cross SectionalModerate Evidence2022RETHINKTHC RESEARCH DATABASErethinkthc.com/research

Quick Facts

Study Type
Cross-Sectional
Evidence
Moderate Evidence
Sample
N=10,380

What This Study Found

Dual users of marijuana and e-cigarettes had dramatically higher odds of being aged 18-29 (aOR 12.44), being male (aOR 3.29), reporting 14+ days of poor mental health (aOR 2.30), having asthma (aOR 2.09), COPD (aOR 2.94), currently smoking cigarettes (aOR 4.56), and using prescribed pain medications (aOR 2.13).

Key Numbers

n=10,380; dual users aOR 12.44 for age 18-29; aOR 3.29 for male; aOR 2.30 for poor mental health; aOR 2.09 for asthma; aOR 2.94 for COPD; aOR 4.56 for current cigarette smoking

How They Did This

Cross-sectional analysis of the 2018 Utah Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (n=10,380) using multivariable logistic regression comparing dual users to a reference group of single- or non-users.

Why This Research Matters

Understanding who uses both marijuana and vaping products helps identify populations that may face compounded health risks from multiple inhalant substances.

The Bigger Picture

Dual use of marijuana and vaping products represents a growing pattern, particularly among young adults. The clustering of respiratory conditions and poor mental health in this group suggests compounding vulnerabilities.

What This Study Doesn't Tell Us

Cross-sectional design cannot determine direction of associations. Utah population may differ from national patterns. Self-reported data subject to social desirability bias.

Questions This Raises

  • ?Does dual use worsen respiratory outcomes beyond either substance alone?
  • ?Are mental health conditions driving dual use, or does dual use contribute to poorer mental health?

Trust & Context

Key Stat:
aOR 12.44 for age 18-29 among dual users
Evidence Grade:
Representative population survey with robust multivariable analysis, but cross-sectional design limits causal interpretation.
Study Age:
Published in 2022
Original Title:
Characteristics of Adults Who Use Both Marijuana and E-Cigarette, or Vaping, Products: A Cross-Sectional Study, Utah, 2018.
Published In:
Public health reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974), 137(4), 695-701 (2022)
Database ID:
RTHC-04002

Evidence Hierarchy

Meta-Analysis / Systematic Review
Randomized Controlled Trial
Cohort / Case-Control
Cross-Sectional / ObservationalSnapshot without intervening
This study
Case Report / Animal Study

A snapshot of a population at one point in time.

What do these levels mean? →

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is most likely to use both marijuana and vaping products?

Young adults aged 18-29 were 12 times more likely to be dual users. Males, current cigarette smokers, people with respiratory conditions, and those with poor mental health were also overrepresented.

Is dual use of marijuana and e-cigarettes common?

The study identified dual users as a distinct risk group within a representative Utah adult population, characterized by younger age, male sex, and multiple health comorbidities.

Read More on RethinkTHC

Cite This Study

RTHC-04002·https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-04002

APA

Lewis, Nathaniel M; Friedrichs, Michael; Wagstaff, Shelly S; Nakashima, Allyn K; Dunn, Angela C. (2022). Characteristics of Adults Who Use Both Marijuana and E-Cigarette, or Vaping, Products: A Cross-Sectional Study, Utah, 2018.. Public health reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974), 137(4), 695-701. https://doi.org/10.1177/00333549211018679

MLA

Lewis, Nathaniel M, et al. "Characteristics of Adults Who Use Both Marijuana and E-Cigarette, or Vaping, Products: A Cross-Sectional Study, Utah, 2018.." Public health reports (Washington, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1177/00333549211018679

RethinkTHC

RethinkTHC Research Database. "Characteristics of Adults Who Use Both Marijuana and E-Cigar..." RTHC-04002. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/lewis-2022-characteristics-of-adults-who

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.