It’s a lot of money to spend on weed.
The University of Cincinnati just got $700,000 to study “blunts.”
LaTrice Montgomery, a UC assistant professor and lead researcher on the project, will be looking into not only the use of “blunts,” hollowed-out cigars filled with marijuana, for African-American young adults but also strategies for social media intervention, specifically on Twitter.
“Given that social media is already fully integrated into the lives of many young adults, my research will focus on the development and evaluation of a private online Twitter group to support African-American young adults who are interested in reducing heavy blunt use,” Montgomery said, according to Cincinnati.com.
She added, “It is important to develop innovative and cost-effective interventions for young adults who might be reluctant to enter or remain engaged in traditional substance abuse treatments.”
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“A Twitter-based intervention may provide an accessible and effective way to reduce blunt smoking and thereby decrease morbidity and mortality rates associated with marijuana and tobacco co-use,” Montgomery said.
The culture of the blunt
Montgomey noted that while studies have shown that young African-Americans are more likely to use blunts, not much research has gone into its effects. Specifically, examining the results of mixing of tobacco and marijuana where both THC and nicotine are combined, posing a higher risk to smokers.
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She also wants to look at cultural factors that might influence the higher rates of use among African-American youth. To that end, she will be conducting interviews “to gain a stronger understanding of cultural norms and patterns of blunt use.”
She will be looking at social media as well as at the depiction of blunt use in pop culture. Additionally, Montgomery plans to study marketing tactics employed by cigar companies that might contribute to blunt use.
While many states across the country have made moves to legalizing marijuana, studies like this one may be crucial to understanding the effects of the drug as well as its place in our culture.