Smoking Behavior and Potential for Developing Dependence on Cannabis

"Differences in cannabis smoking behaviour may also represent different risks for cannabis dependence independently of total THC exposure. Similar to cigarette smokers [16,21–24], cannabis smokers typically gradually decrease the puff volume and puff duration during the course of one joint, whereas puff velocity and interpuff interval gradually increase [20]. Interestingly, in a 2-year prospective study, nicotine dependence has been shown to develop more rapidly in tobacco smokers who smoke with stable or increasing puff volume and increasing puff duration ('atypical' smoking) [16]. One interpretation of this finding is that the risk of becoming nicotine-dependent is lower in smokers who reach nicotine saturation before the cigarette is finished and decrease their pace of smoking. If this mechanism also applies to cannabis smoking, one may expect that the risk for and the severity of cannabis dependence is associated with 'atypical' cannabis smoking."