TY - JOUR
T1 - Displays of dabbing marijuana extracts on YouTube
AU - Krauss, Melissa J.
AU - Sowles, Shaina J.
AU - Mylvaganam, Shalinee
AU - Zewdie, Kidist
AU - Bierut, Laura J.
AU - Cavazos-Rehg, Patricia A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
PY - 2015/10/1
Y1 - 2015/10/1
N2 - Background: Dabbing involves heating marijuana extracts to a high temperature and inhaling the vapor. Little is known about this new method of using marijuana. YouTube, the most popular platform for sharing online videos, may be a go-to resource for individuals interested in learning about dabbing. Our objective was to explore the content of dabbing-related videos on YouTube. Methods: We searched for dabbing-related videos on YouTube using the search terms "dabbing" and "dabs" on January 22, 2015. For each term, videos were sorted by relevance and view count. A sample of 116 dabbing videos were viewed and coded for content. Results: The 116 videos (published by 75 unique channels) had a total of 9,545,482 views. Most (76%) of the channels had a specific focus on marijuana and 23% were located in California. Eighty-nine percent of the videos showed at least one person dabbing, and 61% of these showed someone dabbing repeatedly. Most dabbers were male (67%) and many appeared to be >25 years old (42%). Approximately 34% of the videos contained a product review, 28% provided instructions on dabbing or other educational information, and 21% contained at least a brief cautionary message. Over half (54%) of the videos referenced medical marijuana, and only 20% of the videos had an age-restriction. Conclusions: Dabbing-related videos are easily found and can be readily viewed on YouTube. As marijuana use becomes more accepted by the general population, the popularity of dabbing-related videos could increase, potentially normalizing this potent form of marijuana use.
AB - Background: Dabbing involves heating marijuana extracts to a high temperature and inhaling the vapor. Little is known about this new method of using marijuana. YouTube, the most popular platform for sharing online videos, may be a go-to resource for individuals interested in learning about dabbing. Our objective was to explore the content of dabbing-related videos on YouTube. Methods: We searched for dabbing-related videos on YouTube using the search terms "dabbing" and "dabs" on January 22, 2015. For each term, videos were sorted by relevance and view count. A sample of 116 dabbing videos were viewed and coded for content. Results: The 116 videos (published by 75 unique channels) had a total of 9,545,482 views. Most (76%) of the channels had a specific focus on marijuana and 23% were located in California. Eighty-nine percent of the videos showed at least one person dabbing, and 61% of these showed someone dabbing repeatedly. Most dabbers were male (67%) and many appeared to be >25 years old (42%). Approximately 34% of the videos contained a product review, 28% provided instructions on dabbing or other educational information, and 21% contained at least a brief cautionary message. Over half (54%) of the videos referenced medical marijuana, and only 20% of the videos had an age-restriction. Conclusions: Dabbing-related videos are easily found and can be readily viewed on YouTube. As marijuana use becomes more accepted by the general population, the popularity of dabbing-related videos could increase, potentially normalizing this potent form of marijuana use.
KW - Cannabis
KW - Cannabis extract
KW - Dab
KW - Dabbing
KW - Marijuana smoking
KW - Social media
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84941937865&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.08.020
DO - 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.08.020
M3 - Article
C2 - 26347408
AN - SCOPUS:84941937865
SN - 0376-8716
VL - 155
SP - 45
EP - 51
JO - Drug and Alcohol Dependence
JF - Drug and Alcohol Dependence
M1 - 5716
ER -