The truth about marijuana is all rolled up in a blunt: prevalence and predictors of blunt use among young African-American adults

Several studies suggest that African-American young adults are more likely than other racial groups to smoke marijuana in blunts (i.e., hollowed-out cigars filled with marijuana). Given that tobacco content is found in the wrapper leaf of cigars that are used to make blunts, more studies are needed to assess the co-occurring use of marijuana and tobacco among African-American young adults. The present study was designed to address this gap by examining the prevalence rates and predictors of blunt usage among young African-American men and women (ages 18-25) participating in the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Among participants who reported using marijuana in the past month, 74.4% of African-American women (N = 246) and 82.7% of men (N = 312) smoked marijuana in a blunt in the past 30 days (current blunt smokers). Logistic regression analyses revealed that current blunt smokers, both men and women, were approximately five times more likely to drive under the influence of illegal drugs in the past year than former and non-blunt smokers. Future marijuana research should examine the dual use of marijuana and tobacco rather than focusing solely on marijuana use, especially among young African-American men and women.