One in four tobacco quitline callers in legalized states also used marijuana | Research

The takeaway

Among 1,059 quitline callers in states with legal marijuana, 24% reported past 30-day marijuana use, and nearly half of those users wanted to quit or reduce their marijuana consumption.

Tobacco cessation professionals, substance use researchers, public health policymakers

24% of quitline callers used marijuana; 43% of those wanted to quit or reduce

What the researchers found

Among quitline callers, 24% used marijuana in the past 30 days (28.9% Alaska, 25.0% Oregon, 16.7% DC). Current marijuana users were more likely to complete 3+ counseling calls but less likely to receive nicotine replacement therapy. Among users, 42.6% wanted to quit or reduce marijuana use.

Why it matters

Tobacco quitlines serve over 400,000 callers annually. Understanding co-use patterns could help tailor cessation services and identify opportunities to address multiple substance use simultaneously.

The numbers in context

24% past 30-day marijuana use. Of marijuana users: 62.3% used 1-19 days, 9.0% used 20-29 days, 28.7% used all 30 days. 42.6% wanted to quit or reduce. Marijuana users were less likely to receive NRT (68.4% vs 74.1%) but more likely to complete 3+ calls.

How the study worked

Observational study of 1,059 smokers aged 21+ who called quitlines in Oregon, Alaska, and Washington DC (September-December 2016). Demographics, tobacco/marijuana use, and quitline engagement data collected.

What this study cannot tell us

Three states/jurisdictions only; self-reported data; no outcome data on whether co-use affected tobacco cessation success; observational design.

How to read the evidence

Cross-sectional observational study in three states without cessation outcome data.

When this study was published

Published in 2020.

The bigger picture

The finding that nearly half of marijuana-using quitline callers wanted help with their marijuana use too suggests an unmet need that existing tobacco cessation infrastructure could potentially address.

Questions still open

Does concurrent marijuana use reduce tobacco cessation success? Could integrated treatment for both substances improve outcomes?

Common questions

Does marijuana use make it harder to quit tobacco?

This study did not measure cessation outcomes. Interestingly, marijuana users were actually more likely to complete multiple counseling calls, but they were less likely to receive nicotine replacement therapy. Future studies need to track whether co-use affects quit rates.

Why did so many marijuana users also want to reduce their marijuana use?

The study found 42.6% of marijuana-using quitline callers wanted to quit or reduce marijuana, with higher rates in Alaska and DC than Oregon. People seeking help for tobacco may already be motivated to address substance use more broadly.

Read the original research

Marijuana Use and Adherence to Smoking Cessation Treatment Among Callers to Tobacco Quitlines.

Preventing chronic disease, 17, E102

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Carpenter, Kelly M; Torres, Alula J; Salmon, Erica E; Carlini, Beatriz H; Vickerman, Katrina A; Schauer, Gillian L; Bush, Terry. (2020). Marijuana Use and Adherence to Smoking Cessation Treatment Among Callers to Tobacco Quitlines.. Preventing chronic disease, 17, E102. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd17.200110