Modes of cannabis use among Canadian youth in the COMPASS study; using LCA to examine patterns of smoking, vaping, and eating/drinking cannabis

Abstract

Research has indicated that cannabis consumption through alternative modes of use such as eating/drinking or vaping may be increasing in areas where cannabis has been legalized. However, there is little research that examines these different modes of cannabis use in a Canadian youth context. The purpose of this study was to identify pre-legalization modes of cannabis use (smoking, eating/drinking, vaping) among a sample of 45,677 secondary school students who participated in year 6 (2017/18) of the COMPASS study. Within our sample, 24.9% reported cannabis use within the last 12 months; among those, 38.7% reported occasional use, and 61.3% reported current use. Multi-mode patterns of use were common; more than half of those reporting current cannabis use indicated a use pattern other than exclusively smoking, and over 20% reported use via all three modes. Findings from a latent class analysis identified three distinct groups and suggested that eating/drinking cannabis and vaping cannabis may more often be an addition to smoking rather than a replacement. Continued monitoring of these patterns is important for public health and necessary to evaluate any changes resulting from cannabis legalization.

Keywords:

• Cannabis
• youth
• edibles
• vaping
• latent class analysis

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The COMPASS study has been supported by a bridge grant from the CIHR Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes (INMD) through the ‘Obesity – Interventions to Prevent or Treat’ priority funding awards [OOP-110788; awarded to Scott T. Leatherdale], an operating grant from the CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health (IPPH) [MOP-114875; awarded to Scott T. Leatherdale], a CIHR project grant [PJT-148562; awarded to Scott T. Leatherdale], a CIHR bridge grant [PJT-149092; awarded to Karen Patte/Scott T. Leatherdale], a CIHR project grant [PJT-159693; awarded to Karen Patte], and by a research funding arrangement with Health Canada [1617-HQ-000012; contract awarded to Scott T. Leatherdale]. The funding sources had no role in the study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to submit the article for publication.