Teens Who Vape More Likely to Start Using Marijuana

Teens and young adults with a history of using e-cigarettes are 3.5 times more likely to use marijuana than their peers who never vaped, a new study finds.

The risk of marijuana use was greater if a person first tried e-cigarettes when they were in their teens, rather than when they were young adults, HealthDay reports.

The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, found use of e-cigarettes generally comes before the use of marijuana in teens. The researchers said the nicotine in e-cigarettes “may sensitize the reward and pleasure centers of the brain and increase the odds of using other forms of nicotine and other psychoactive substances.”

The researchers conclude that their findings “highlight the importance of addressing the rapid increases in e-cigarette use among youths as a means to help limit marijuana use in this population.”