Submission ID 131590
| Issue/Objective | Adolescent cannabis use is an increasing global public health concern, particularly amid expanding legalization and the growing availability of diverse modes of consumption such as vaping. Cannabis remains the most widely used illicit substance among young people, yet little is known about how vaping compares with non-vaping modes, or whether psychosocial factors are associated with the two modes differently. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior, this study aimed to (1) determine whether the prevalence of cannabis vaping differs from that of non-vaping modes of use, and (2) examine whether psychosocial factors are differentially associated with vaping compared with non-vaping modes among U.S. adolescents. |
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| Methodology/Approach | This study analyzed data from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The analytic sample was restricted to adolescents aged 12-17 years (N = 11,572; 51.15% male; 34.95% aged 14-15 years). Cannabis use was modeled as a three-level outcome: non-use, non-vaping modes only, and any vaping. Survey-weighted multinomial logistic regression examined the associations between psychosocial factors and cannabis use, adjusting for demographics. Wald tests compared the prevalence of cannabis vaping with non-vaping modes of use. Analyses were conducted in Stata 19. |
| Results | Cannabis vaping was more prevalent (3.81%) than non-vaping modes (2.09%; prevalence difference = 1.72%, p < .05). Compared with non-use, all psychosocial factors were associated with cannabis use: access and peer use increased risk, while higher perceived risk and disapproval were protective. In direct comparisons of the two modes, only perceived easy access distinguished them (aRRR = 2.68), indicating that adolescents who saw cannabis as easy to access were more likely to vape than to use non-vaping modes. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | Two findings carry clear prevention implications. First, vaping has become the predominant way adolescents use cannabis, so it deserves specific attention rather than being addressed only as part of cannabis use broadly. Second, while several factors shape cannabis use overall, perceived easy access is the only psychosocial factor that distinguishes vaping from non-vaping use. Because access is modifiable, it offers a concrete target for prevention in a global landscape of shifting cannabis policy, turning nationally representative evidence into action. |
| Presenters and Affiliations | Rita Chukwu Purdue University Rita Chukwu Purdue University Rita Chukwu Purdue University |
