Characterizing Blunt Smokers by Their Acquisition of Cannabis

ABSTRACT

Background: Ethnographers have reported that young, urban males embraced blunt smoking in response to the crack cocaine epidemic that ravaged their neighborhoods in the 1980s. But, recent survey data has indicated high rates of other illicit drug use among blunt smokers. Objectives: The objective of this study was to examine the association between blunt smoking and cannabis acquisition as a potential explanation for the correlation with other illicit drug use. Methods: The sample consisted of participants from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) who reported use of cannabis or blunts in the prior month (n = 6,040). Logistic regression was used in estimating measures of demographics, access to illicit drugs, access to medical cannabis, frequency of cannabis/blunt use, and type of blunt smoker as correlates of a cannabis purchase versus other means of acquisition (e.g. sharing it). Results: Accounting for other variables, current blunt smokers had 1.4 times the odds of purchasing cannabis relative to the cannabis users who had never smoked a blunt. Furthermore, the current blunt smokers had greater odds of purchasing cannabis frequently and making the purchases in outdoor settings. Conclusions/Importance: The findings suggest that current blunt smokers compared to other cannabis users are at greater risk of the dangers associated with illegal drug transactions. The legalization of recreational cannabis in some U.S. states is coinciding with the growth of a cannabis black market, highlighting the need for the continued assessment of cannabis acquisition in NSDUH questionnaires.

KEYWORDS:

• Cannabis
• blunts
• illicit markets
• purchases

Declaration of interest

The author reports no conflict of interest. The author alone is responsible for the content and writing of the article.