Rolling and scrolling: The portrayal of marijuana cigars (blunts) on YouTube.

Background: Blunts are partially or fully hollowed-out cigars or cigarillos that are filled with marijuana. Despite the high prevalence of blunt use, very few studies assess this specific method of cannabis administration. YouTube, a popular video-sharing website, has the potential to provide insights into blunt use.

Methods: The purpose of this study was to examine the content of YouTube videos that discuss blunts. A sample of 41 videos was coded for content.

Results: The 41 videos had a total of 27,579,636 views. Most of the individuals in the videos were male (85%) and many appeared to be White (80%) and under the age of 25 (46%). Only 34% of the videos had an age restriction. The majority of messages in the videos promoted blunt use (93%) and showed at least one person rolling (76%) and/or smoking (66%) a blunt. The videos mainly consisted of introductions to blunt use (76%) and tips and personal experiences with blunt use (73%).

Conclusions: YouTube videos on blunt use are readily available and primarily promote the use of blunts. Future research should continue to monitor YouTube content and develop videos on social media platforms that inform consumers of the health effects associated with blunt use.