Cannabis has long been a communal experience, with ‘puff, puff, pass’ serving as an unofficial mantra. But a recent study suggests some consumers may be more inclined to bogart their bud.
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The research, published in the journal Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, found that college students who use cannabis frequently were less likely to share a hypothetical stash and more prone to solitary consumption.
Scientists recruited 89 college students for the study with an average age of 19. Roughly 74 percent were white and 65 percent identified as female.
The study authors examined self-reported cannabis consumption and compared it with how willing they were to share weed with others, a concept known as social discounting. Participants were asked about their consumption frequency over the last 30 days and the types of products (flower, extracts, or edibles) they typically used. They were also asked if they typically consumed alone or in a group setting.
The median reported consumption frequency was four days per month across cannabis product categories. Researchers classified participants reporting more frequent use as heavier users, although the group likely included occasional consumers.
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In the social discounting exercise, participants imagined a hypothetical list of close friends, relatives, and acquaintances. They then indicated how much weed they would be willing to share with.
Participants who consumed cannabis more frequently were willing to share less of their hypothetical stash. The findings build on earlier research from the same team suggesting that cannabis consumers are less willing to share than non-consumers.
The authors suggested the findings may reflect a basic principle of behavioral economics: people who value a substance more may be less willing to give it away.
The sharing experiment wasn’t the only sign that frequent consumers may be less social with their stash. The team also found that the more often a participant used, the more likely they were to use alone.
Among students who consumed cannabis four days a month or less, 93 percent reported “always” or “almost always” using with others. That percentage declined as consumption frequency increased.
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The study identified associations, not cause and effect. Researchers cannot say whether consuming cannabis more frequently makes people less willing to share—or whether people who prefer consuming alone simply use it more often.
However, the researchers hope to run similar tests in clinical settings to see if the findings match—and whether a social discounting exercise could help identify people more at risk for cannabis use disorder.
More research is needed to determine whether the willingness to share weed could help identify problematic consumption. In the meantime, the findings suggest that some cannabis consumers may take “puff, puff, pass” more as a suggestion than a rule.
