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. 2025 Jan 11;20(1):1.
doi: 10.1186/s13011-025-00634-0.

Cannabis use characteristics and associations with problematic use outcomes, quitting-related factors, and mental health among US young adults

Carla J Berg  1   2   3 , Cassidy R LoParco  4 , Katelyn F Romm  5 , Yuxian Cui  4 , Darcey M McCready  4 , Yan Wang  4   6 , Y Tony Yang  6   7 , Hannah S Szlyk  8 , Erin Kasson  8 , Rishika Chakraborty  7 , Patricia A Cavazos-Rehg  8
Affiliations

Cannabis use characteristics and associations with problematic use outcomes, quitting-related factors, and mental health among US young adults

Carla J Berg et al. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy. .

Abstract

Objective: Given the changes in trends of cannabis use (e.g., product types), this study examined latent classes of young adult use and associations with use-related outcomes.

Methods: We analyzed 2023 survey data among 4,031 US young adults (Mage=26.29, 59.4% female, 19.0% Hispanic, 13.5% Black, 13.6% Asian). Among those reporting past-month use (48.8%), latent class analysis (LCA) indicators included: days used (1-5; 6-20; 21-30), use/day (1; 2-4; ≥5), and type usually used (herb/flower; edibles; oils/vape; concentrates/other). Multivariable regressions examined class in relation to problematic use, quitting-related factors, and mental health, controlling for sociodemographics and state non-medical cannabis laws.

Results: LCA identified 4 classes of cannabis use frequency and types used: 'infrequent-herb/edibles' (41.4%), 'frequent-herb' (16.8%), 'moderate-herb' (28.0%), and 'moderate-oil/other' (13.8%). In multivariable analyses (referent group: 'moderate-herb' class), 'frequent-herb' reported less problematic use (B=-0.18, 95%CI=-0.30, -0.07), while 'moderate-oil/other' reported greater (B = 0.39, 95%CI = 0.27, 0.51). 'Infrequent-herb/edibles' had lower odds of driving post-use of cannabis (aOR = 0.28, 95%CI = 0.22, 0.37) and cannabis/alcohol (aOR = 0.52, 95%CI = 0.35, 0.76), whereas 'frequent-herb' (aOR = 1.52, 95%CI = 1.02, 2.28) and 'moderate-oil/other' (aOR = 3.98, 95%CI = 2.72, 5.82) reported greater odds of driving post-cannabis/alcohol use. 'Moderate-oil/other' reported higher quitting importance (B = 0.59, 95%CI = 0.17, 1.01), while 'frequent-herb' reported lower (B=-0.33, 95%CI=-0.99, -0.18). 'Infrequent-herb/edibles' reported higher quitting confidence (B = 0.56, 95%CI = 0.20, 0.92), whereas 'frequent-herb' (B=-1.01, 95%CI=-1.45, -0.57) and 'moderate-oil/other' (B=-1.27, 95%CI=-1.74, -0.81) reported lower. 'Infrequent-herb/edibles' reported fewer mental health symptoms (B=-0.55, 95%CI=-0.93, -0.17), while 'moderate-oil/other' reported more (B = 1.03, 95%CI = 0.53, 1.52).

Conclusions: Preventing frequent and moderate use of cannabis, particularly of oils/concentrates, is crucial given the potential negative implications for problematic use, quitting, and mental health.

Keywords: Cannabis; Epidemiology; Marijuana; Problematic use; Risk factors.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was approved by the George Washington University Institutional Review Board (NCR224124). All participants provided informed consent. Consent for publication: N/A. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Participant flowchart. Note The 4,031 participants enrolled in the study reflect 21.9% [n = 4,031/18,426] of Facebook profiles that clicked on ads; 49.8% [n = 4,031/8,098] of those who began chatbot eligibility pre-screening; 58.4% [n = 4,031/6,908] of those who completed chatbot pre-screening [780 of which were not deemed preliminarily eligible]); and 65.8% (n = 4,031/6,128) of those preliminarily eligible at the Facebook chatbot pre-screening phase
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