A University at Buffalo study looked at how twelfth graders use cannabis and whether that links to binge drinking. Researchers used national survey data from Monitoring the Future collected from 2018 to 2021.
They found that about 31% of students used cannabis in the past year. The most common method was smoking, and many students also used edibles or vaping. Overall, 65% of users used two or more different methods. Smoking, vaping, and dabbing were linked with any binge drinking in the past two weeks, while edibles were not linked. The researchers say measuring how teens use cannabis could help guide education and regulation.
Difficult words
- cannabis — plant used for drugs and sometimes medicine
- edible — food that contains a drug from cannabisedibles
- vape — breathe in vapor from an electronic cigarettevaping
- dab — inhale a strong cannabis vapor or concentratedabbing
- binge drinking — drinking a lot of alcohol in short time
- regulation — rules by government or authorities for control
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think researchers want to know how teens use cannabis?
- Do you think schools should teach about different cannabis methods? Why or why not?
- Have you seen news about vaping or edibles where you live? What did you learn?
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