College students reported more hits and more negative consequences when using joints or blunts compared to bongs | Research

The takeaway

A 4-weekend ecological momentary assessment study of 88 college students found that using joints, blunts, or vapes was associated with more hits per session and greater odds of negative consequences compared to bong use.

College-age cannabis users, harm reduction advocates, and researchers studying consumption patterns and associated risks.

Joints and blunts linked to more hits and more negative consequences than bongs

What the researchers found

Participants reported more hits on days using joints, vapes, blunts, or other modes compared to bong use. Greater odds of negative consequences occurred on days using joints or blunts compared to bongs. Plant cannabis was the most common type and bongs the most common mode.

Why it matters

As cannabis legalization expands and consumption methods diversify, understanding which modes of use are linked to heavier consumption and more negative outcomes can inform harm reduction messaging for young adults.

The numbers in context

88 participants, mean age 20.49. Plant was most endorsed cannabis type. Bongs were most common mode. Multilevel models showed more hits on joint, vape, blunt, and other mode days versus bong days. Greater odds of negative consequences on joint and blunt days versus bong days.

How the study worked

Ecological momentary assessment study over 4 weekends with 88 college students aged 18-25 who endorsed weekly simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use. Cannabis use behavior was assessed during morning prompts including type, mode, number of hits, and consequences.

What this study cannot tell us

Small sample of 88 students from one university. All participants used both alcohol and cannabis simultaneously, limiting generalizability. Self-reported data collected the morning after use. Short 4-weekend observation period.

How to read the evidence

Preliminary: small observational EMA study with a narrow sample of simultaneous alcohol-cannabis users over a short observation period.

When this study was published

Published 2026.

The bigger picture

This is one of few studies using real-time daily assessment to compare how different cannabis consumption modes relate to use intensity and consequences, moving beyond the typical cross-sectional approach.

Questions still open

Why are joints and blunts associated with more hits and consequences? Is it the social context, the continuous nature of combustion, or the difficulty of dose-titrating? Would these patterns hold for cannabis-only users?

Common questions

Does the way you use cannabis affect how much you consume?

This study found college students took more hits when using joints, vapes, or blunts compared to bongs, suggesting the mode of use influences consumption volume.

Are some cannabis consumption methods riskier than others?

Students reported greater odds of negative consequences on days they used joints or blunts compared to bongs, though the reasons for this pattern need further study.

Read the original research

Measuring cannabis use and cannabis-related consequences among college students who engage in simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use: Associations by type of cannabis product and mode of use on weekend days with cannabis.

Addictive behaviors, 173, 108534

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Shipley, Jennifer L; Chiang, Shou-Chun; Linden-Carmichael, Ashley N. (2026). Measuring cannabis use and cannabis-related consequences among college students who engage in simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use: Associations by type of cannabis product and mode of use on weekend days with cannabis.. Addictive behaviors, 173, 108534. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108534