New study finds a strong link between e-cigarette and marijuana use in teenagers

A US study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has found a strong association between adolescent e-cigarette use and subsequent cannabis use. 

While researchers maintain the use of e-cigarettes has increased, the study found the rate of marijuana use has remained stable over the last few decades.

The study interviewed more than 9,000 young people between the ages of 12 and 17 and asked them about their cannabis habits over the last 30 days, and 12 months. 

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"We found a significant and robust association between baseline e-cigarette use among cannabis-naive youth and subsequent cannabis use," wrote the researchers.

They also discovered e-cigarette users were likely to be older, white, and have lower school grades. 

While the link between cannabis and vaping was strong, the researchers were unsure if marijuana use was caused by vaping, or some other factor.

They speculated that teenagers who vape are more likely to be friends with those who engage in "risky" behaviour such as marijuana use. 

According to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, 63 per cent of Australian teenagers who regularly vape received their most recent e-cigarette from friends, eight per cent got it from their siblings, and seven per cent got a vape from their parents. 

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They also report vape use has increased among young people: 14 per cent of 12-17 year olds have used an e-cigarette at least once, and 32 per cent of those have used one in the last month. 

Despite this, the American study found adolescent marijuana use across the entire population has remained relatively stable from 1995 to 2020. 

Scientists believe marijuana rates have not increased as a result of vape use because teenagers who use cannabis after vaping, may not continue to use weed in the long term. 

Additionally, the amount of teenagers who go on to use marijuana after vaping may only make up a small portion of the adolescent population.