A content analysis of tweets about high-potency marijuana

Introduction “Dabbing” involves heating extremely concentrated forms of marijuana to high temperatures and inhaling the resulting vapor. We studied themes describing the consequences of using highly concentrated marijuana by examining the dabbing-related content on Twitter. Methods Tweets containing dabbing-related keywords were collected from 1/1–1/31/2015 (n = 206,854). A random sample of 5000 tweets was coded for content according to pre-determined categories about dabbing-related behaviors and effects experienced using a crowdsourcing service. An examination of tweets from the full sample about respiratory effects and passing out was then conducted by selecting tweets with relevant keywords. Results Among the 5000 randomly sampled tweets, 3540 (71%) were related to dabbing marijuana concentrates. The most common themes included mentioning current use of concentrates (n = 849; 24%), the intense high and/or extreme effects from dabbing (n = 763; 22%) and excessive/heavy dabbing (n = 517; 15%). Extreme effects included both physiological (n = 124/333; 37%) and psychological effects (n = 55/333; 17%). The most common physiologic effects, passing out (n = 46/333; 14%) and respiratory effects (n = 30/333; 9%), were then further studied in the full sample of tweets. Coughing was the most common respiratory effect mentioned (n = 807/1179; 68%), and tweeters commonly expressed dabbing with intentions to pass out (416/915; 45%). Conclusions This study adds to the limited understanding of marijuana concentrates and highlights self-reported physical and psychological effects from this type of marijuana use. Future research should further examine these effects and the potential severity of health consequences associated with concentrates.