TY - JOUR
T1 - Differentiating people who use cannabis heavily through latent class analysis
AU - Alvarez-Roldan, Arturo
AU - García-Muñoz, Teresa
AU - Gamella, Juan F.
AU - Parra, Iván
AU - Duaso, Maria J.
N1 - Funding Information:
We are grateful to all the people who collaborated in conducting the interviews, particularly Verónica Reyero, Sofía España, Agustín Llorca, Alejandro Sáez, Ana Esteban, Joseba Zabala, Otger Amatller, Enriqueta Ochoa, Loreto Belda, Alfons Soler, Begoña Reyero, Cristina Pinet and other members and collaborators of the EVICT project.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s).
PY - 2023/6/1
Y1 - 2023/6/1
N2 - Background: People who use cannabis daily or near-daily vary considerably in their daily dosage and use frequency, impacting both experienced effects and adverse consequences. This study identified heavy cannabis user groups according to consumption patterns and factors associated with class membership. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 380 Spanish residents (61.8% male; average age = 30.3 years) who had used cannabis ≥ 3 days/week throughout the past year. Participants were recruited through chain referral and cannabis social clubs. We applied latent class analysis (LCA) to cluster participants according to use intensity. LCA indicators included frequency of weekly cannabis use, joints smoked each day, cannabis dosage, and if cannabis was consumed throughout the day or only at specific times. Associations between class membership and socio-demographics, use patterns, motives, supply sources, adverse outcomes, and use of other substances were measured using ANOVA and chi-squared tests. Multinomial regression identified the factors associated with latent class membership. Results: Three latent classes (moderately heavy: 21.8%, heavy: 68.2%, very heavy: 10%) had average weekly cannabis intakes of 2.4, 5.5, and 18.3 g, respectively. Very heavy users were older (Formula presented.), less educated (Formula presented.), and had used cannabis for longer (F = 4.62, p = 0.01). CAST scores (F = 26.51, p < 0.001) increased across the classes. The prevalence of past-month alcohol use was lower among the heaviest users (Formula presented.). Cannabis was usually obtained from a club by very heavy users (Formula presented.). Conclusions: People who use cannabis heavily present three groups according to frequency and quantity of cannabis consumption. Use intensity is associated with increased cannabis-related problems. Differences among heavy users must be considered in harm reduction interventions in cannabis clubs and indicated prevention.
AB - Background: People who use cannabis daily or near-daily vary considerably in their daily dosage and use frequency, impacting both experienced effects and adverse consequences. This study identified heavy cannabis user groups according to consumption patterns and factors associated with class membership. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 380 Spanish residents (61.8% male; average age = 30.3 years) who had used cannabis ≥ 3 days/week throughout the past year. Participants were recruited through chain referral and cannabis social clubs. We applied latent class analysis (LCA) to cluster participants according to use intensity. LCA indicators included frequency of weekly cannabis use, joints smoked each day, cannabis dosage, and if cannabis was consumed throughout the day or only at specific times. Associations between class membership and socio-demographics, use patterns, motives, supply sources, adverse outcomes, and use of other substances were measured using ANOVA and chi-squared tests. Multinomial regression identified the factors associated with latent class membership. Results: Three latent classes (moderately heavy: 21.8%, heavy: 68.2%, very heavy: 10%) had average weekly cannabis intakes of 2.4, 5.5, and 18.3 g, respectively. Very heavy users were older (Formula presented.), less educated (Formula presented.), and had used cannabis for longer (F = 4.62, p = 0.01). CAST scores (F = 26.51, p < 0.001) increased across the classes. The prevalence of past-month alcohol use was lower among the heaviest users (Formula presented.). Cannabis was usually obtained from a club by very heavy users (Formula presented.). Conclusions: People who use cannabis heavily present three groups according to frequency and quantity of cannabis consumption. Use intensity is associated with increased cannabis-related problems. Differences among heavy users must be considered in harm reduction interventions in cannabis clubs and indicated prevention.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85160963945&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/s13011-023-00540-3
DO - 10.1186/s13011-023-00540-3
M3 - Article
SN - 1747-597X
VL - 18
JO - Substance Abuse: Treatment, Prevention, and Policy
JF - Substance Abuse: Treatment, Prevention, and Policy
IS - 1
M1 - 31
ER -