Cannabis Use Among Adults in Cigarette Smoking Cessation Treatment in Ontario, Canada: Prevalence and Association With Tobacco Cessation Outcome, 2015-2021

• Published in: American journal of public health (1971) Vol. 114; no. 1; pp. 98 - 107
• Main Authors: Voci, Sabrina, Veldhuizen, Scott, Ivanova, Anna, Melamed, Osnat C, Selby, Peter, Zawertailo, Laurie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Public Health Association 01.01.2024
• Subjects: Abstinence; Adult; Adults; Alcohol use; Cannabis; Cigarette smoking; Cigarettes; Clinical outcomes; Data collection; Drug addiction; Drug use; Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; Enrollments; Health care; Humans; Legalization; Marijuana; Medical treatment; Ontario - epidemiology; Prevalence; Primary care; Public health; Response rates; Schizophrenia; Self report; Smoking; Smoking cessation; Smoking Cessation - methods; Sociodemographics; Substance abuse treatment; Substance use disorder; Tobacco; Tobacco Products; Tobacco Use Cessation; Trends; Ontario; Canada; Ontario Canada; United States > US
• ISSN: 0090-0036; 1541-0048; 1541-0048
• DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2023.307445

To examine cannabis use prevalence and its association with tobacco cessation among adults enrolled in cigarette smoking cessation treatment before and after Canada legalized recreational cannabis in October 2018. The sample comprised 83 206 adults enrolled in primary care-based cigarette smoking cessation treatment between 2015 and 2021 in Ontario, Canada. Past-30-day cannabis use was self-reported at enrollment and cigarette smoking abstinence at 6-month follow-up. Past-30-day prevalence of cannabis use increased from 20.2% in 2015 to 37.7% in 2021. The prevalence increased linearly both before and after legalization. Cannabis and tobacco co-use was associated with lower odds of self-reported cigarette smoking abstinence at 6-month follow-up than tobacco use only (24.4% vs 29.3%; odds ratio [OR] = 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.75, 0.81). This association was attenuated after adjustment for covariates (OR = 0.93; 95% CI = 0.89, 0.97) and weakened slightly over time. Cannabis use prevalence almost doubled from 2015 to 2021 among primary care patients in Ontario seeking treatment to quit cigarettes and was associated with poorer quit outcomes. Further research into the impact of cannabis policy on cannabis and tobacco co-use is warranted to mitigate harm. ( 2024;114(1):98-107. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307445).