Cannabis co-use alters stress responses during nicotine withdrawal
People who use both cannabis and nicotine showed exaggerated blood pressure responses to stress and higher cannabis cravings during nicotine withdrawal compared to single-substance users.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Cannabis co-users exhibited exaggerated diastolic blood pressure responses to stress compared to non-cannabis users, and people using both nicotine and cannabis had higher cannabis craving than cannabis-only users (p<0.01). Nicotine users showed attenuated cortisol and systolic BP stress responses.
Key Numbers
79 participants across four groups. Nicotine-cannabis co-users had significantly higher cannabis craving than cannabis-only users (p<0.01). Cannabis users showed exaggerated diastolic BP responses to stress.
How They Did This
Laboratory study with 79 participants in four groups (nicotine-only, cannabis-only, both, neither). Nicotine users attended two stress assessment sessions: one during ad libitum use and one during nicotine abstinence. Saliva cortisol, subjective states, and cardiovascular measures were collected.
Why This Research Matters
Cannabis and nicotine co-use is increasingly common, yet most smoking cessation research focuses on nicotine alone. Understanding how cannabis changes the withdrawal experience could help develop better quit strategies for co-users.
The Bigger Picture
Nicotine and cannabis interact in complex ways during withdrawal. The finding that co-users experience heightened cannabis cravings during nicotine withdrawal suggests that quitting one substance may intensify urges for the other.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Small sample size (79 across four groups). Laboratory stress may not replicate real-world stress. Cannot determine whether cannabis amplifies withdrawal or withdrawal amplifies cannabis effects.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would addressing cannabis use simultaneously with nicotine cessation improve quit rates?
- ?Do the exaggerated stress responses in co-users translate to higher relapse risk?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Higher cannabis craving in co-users (p<0.01)
- Evidence Grade:
- Controlled laboratory study with physiological measures, but small sample across four groups limits power.
- Study Age:
- 2024 study with laboratory stress assessments
- Original Title:
- Biobehavioral and affective stress responses during nicotine withdrawal: Influence of regular cannabis co-use.
- Published In:
- Psychopharmacology, 241(2), 253-262 (2024)
- Authors:
- al'Absi, Mustafa(2), DeAngelis, Briana N, Nakajima, Motohiro, Hodges, James S, Budney, Alan, Hatsukami, Dorothy, Allen, Sharon
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05072
Evidence Hierarchy
Frequently Asked Questions
Does cannabis make it harder to quit nicotine?
This study found that co-users had exaggerated stress responses during nicotine withdrawal and higher cannabis cravings, suggesting the two substances may complicate quitting, but it did not directly measure quit outcomes.
What happened to cortisol during nicotine withdrawal?
Nicotine-only users had higher cortisol during withdrawal compared to regular use. Overall, nicotine users showed attenuated cortisol stress responses compared to non-users.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05072APA
al'Absi, Mustafa; DeAngelis, Briana N; Nakajima, Motohiro; Hodges, James S; Budney, Alan; Hatsukami, Dorothy; Allen, Sharon. (2024). Biobehavioral and affective stress responses during nicotine withdrawal: Influence of regular cannabis co-use.. Psychopharmacology, 241(2), 253-262. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-023-06481-w
MLA
al'Absi, Mustafa, et al. "Biobehavioral and affective stress responses during nicotine withdrawal: Influence of regular cannabis co-use.." Psychopharmacology, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-023-06481-w
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Biobehavioral and affective stress responses during nicotine..." RTHC-05072. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/al-absi-2024-biobehavioral-and-affective-stress
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.