Vaping and Cannabis Use Among Teens
So far more than 40% of states in the United States have legalized cannabis use for adults, either for recreational use or for medical cannabis purposes. This doesn’t account for the new synthetic cannabinoids on the market, such as Delta 8 and Delta 10 vapes and gummies which are legal in many states under the 2018 Farm Bill, which prohibits the sale of Delta 9 THC, the form commonly found in the marijuana plant, but does not ban hemp-derived cannabinoids such as those listed above, which can also provide a similar high.
The legalization of cannabis comes on the wave of new evidence that when used by consenting adults THC can have some very positive wellness benefits, including reducing anxiety, helping to manage panic attacks, alleviating chronic pain, and providing relief from insomnia.
Vaping has become one of the more popular methods to administer cannabinoids. Nicotine vapes have also become the go-to alternative to tobacco cigarettes for many people seeking to avoid the known health dangers of smoking tobacco.
The primary concern about vaping either cannabis or nicotine comes with the rise in vaping among adolescents and teens. A recent study published in 2022 by JAMA Network Open indicates that this is a growing problem and that there is a direct correlation between vaping nicotine and moving on to using cannabis.
Vaping is growing among young people
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 out of 9 high school students said they had vaped in the last month during a 2021 report. The new study published in JAMA suggests that this rise in nicotine vaping very well may prove to be a gateway to using cannabis.
The research brought forth in the study found that adolescents who use e-cigarettes or vapes are more than three times more likely to use cannabis than those who do not vape.
In the study, researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor looked at cohorts of nearly 10,000 youths who reported never having tried marijuana.
The actual study took place between 2017 and 2019, and the findings revealed that youths in the study who reported vaping were also more likely to say they had begun using cannabis one year later. Groupwide, of those who hadn’t used cannabis at the beginning of the study, 11% ended up trying it by the following year, even those who had not used tobacco. The big reveal was that e-cigarette users were 3.2 times more likely to move on to cannabis than the rest of the group.
The Risks of Adolescent Vaping
While reputable smoke and vape shops maintain strict policies against distributing nicotine vapes or cannabinoid products of any kind to those who are not of legal age – with kids where there is a will there is a way.
However, the risks for vaping both nicotine and cannabinoids are greater for young people than they are for adults. For starters, let’s look at nicotine. It is a highly addictive substance, and while vaping may be a healthier delivery mechanism than inhaling tobacco smoke, it’s certainly not meant for someone who is still developing. Nicotine has been shown to negatively impact brain development in young people, and this is damage that cannot be reversed.
The possible wellness benefits associated with cannabis and cannabinoids also don’t outweigh the potential harm in most cases where young people are concerned. Just like nicotine, cannabis can negatively impact brain development and has also been linked to depression and other mental concerns in young people.
When you put the two together, nicotine and cannabis, the adolescents who are doing both are essentially doubling their risk of potential long-term impact.
Navigating a Confusing Market
While marijuana remains illegal on a federal level, states have adopted their laws about the legality of the drug. Add the influx of synthetic cannabinoids that work around federal laws by being hemp-based, as well as a growing number of nicotine-based vape manufacturers, with some nicotine products banned and others available, and it’s easy to see how regulating these two areas gets tricky.
While not everything about vaping and cannabis is cut and dry, the one area that most sound minds agree upon is that these are products meant for adults.
For adults, they can pose real advantages. Many people claim disposable vapes have helped them kick the tobacco habit, and it’s widely accepted that vaping nicotine is not as detrimental to health as smoking tobacco. THC and cannabinoids have properties believed to provide mental and physical wellness benefits.
That’s why these products should only be sold by vetted and licensed retailers. Smoke shops and vape shops that meet the highest standards and operate to the letter of the law. At Online Warehouse, we are proud to bring the industry’s finest disposable vapes, as well as cannabinoid vapes, edibles, and flower products to reputable smoke and vape shops nationwide. Like you, we advocate for the safe use of these products and hold ourselves to the highest standards of quality and compliance.
We hope you found this post informative. At Online Warehouse, we’re committed to providing vape and smoke shop owners and their customers with updates about disposable vapes, edibles, hemp-based products, and more. Stay tuned for more posts coming soon.
Online Warehouse is a wholesale vape distributor offering a complete selection of disposable vapes, delta 8 vapes and edibles, THC vapes, rolling papers, pre-roll cones, and smoke and vape shop accessories. Enjoy great service, guaranteed quality, and wholesale prices with every smoke or vape shop order. To explore our entire selection, visit onlinewarehouse.com.
