Let’s be blunt: Consumption methods matter among black marijuana smokers

Objective: Despite the high prevalence of blunt (i.e., hollowed-out cigars that are filled with marijuana) use among Black marijuana smokers, few studies have examined if and how blunt users differ from traditional joint users. Method: The current study compared the prevalence and patterns of use for those who smoked blunts in the past month (i.e., blunt users) with those who used marijuana through other methods (i.e., other marijuana users). The sample included 935 Black past-month marijuana smokers participating in the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Results: Among past-month marijuana smokers, 73.2% were blunt users and 26.8% were other marijuana users. Overall, blunt users initiated marijuana use at an earlier age (15.9 vs. 17.3 years, p < .01) and reported more days of marijuana use in the past month (16 vs. 8 days, p < .01) than did other marijuana users. There were also differences by gender. Among females, blunt users reported a higher odds of past-year marijuana abuse or dependence (23.8%) than other marijuana users (11.2%) (adjusted odds ratio = 1.23, 95% CI [1.12, 3.17], p < .01). However, blunt-using males reported similar odds of past-year marijuana abuse or dependence (approximately 25%) as other marijuana-using males. Conclusions: These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions for blunt users as a subgroup of marijuana users, especially among Black females, who may be at increased risk for developing a marijuana use disorder as a result of blunt smoking.