Veterans who co-use tobacco and cannabis have worse mental health symptoms
Among Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, those who used both tobacco and cannabis in the past 30 days reported significantly higher levels of stress, PTSD, depression, and anxiety compared to those using only one substance.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Past 30-day co-users of tobacco and cannabis endorsed significantly higher levels of stress, PTSD, depression, and anxiety compared to singular product users. Lifetime and past 30-day rates of both tobacco and cannabis use were high among OEF/OIF veterans.
Key Numbers
1,230 OEF/OIF veterans surveyed. Co-users had significantly higher stress, PTSD, depression, and anxiety scores than single-substance users.
How They Did This
Cross-sectional survey of 1,230 OEF/OIF veterans examining co-use patterns of tobacco products (cigarettes, vaping) and cannabis, with validated measures of mental health symptoms.
Why This Research Matters
Veterans have elevated rates of both tobacco and cannabis use. Understanding that co-use is associated with worse mental health symptoms could inform integrated treatment approaches.
The Bigger Picture
Whether co-use worsens mental health or people with worse mental health are more likely to use both substances cannot be determined from this study, but the association suggests co-users may need more comprehensive care.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design cannot determine causation. Self-reported substance use and mental health. Convenience sample of veterans may not represent all service members.
Questions This Raises
- ?Does tobacco-cannabis co-use worsen mental health, or do veterans with worse symptoms seek both substances?
- ?Would addressing co-use in treatment improve mental health outcomes?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Co-users had significantly higher PTSD and depression scores
- Evidence Grade:
- Moderate sample size with validated measures, but cross-sectional design and convenience sampling limit causal inference.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2022.
- Original Title:
- Co-use of Tobacco Products and Cannabis among Veterans: A Preliminary Investigation of Prevalence and Associations with Mental Health Outcomes.
- Published In:
- Journal of psychoactive drugs, 54(3), 250-257 (2022)
- Authors:
- Fitzke, Reagan E(3), Davis, Jordan P(9), Pedersen, Eric R(18)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-03844
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Is using both tobacco and cannabis worse than using just one?
The study found co-users reported higher levels of stress, PTSD, depression, and anxiety, but cannot determine whether co-use causes worse mental health or vice versa.
How common was co-use among veterans?
Both lifetime and past 30-day rates of tobacco and cannabis use were high among the OEF/OIF veteran sample, with substantial overlap in co-use.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-03844APA
Fitzke, Reagan E; Davis, Jordan P; Pedersen, Eric R. (2022). Co-use of Tobacco Products and Cannabis among Veterans: A Preliminary Investigation of Prevalence and Associations with Mental Health Outcomes.. Journal of psychoactive drugs, 54(3), 250-257. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2021.1956026
MLA
Fitzke, Reagan E, et al. "Co-use of Tobacco Products and Cannabis among Veterans: A Preliminary Investigation of Prevalence and Associations with Mental Health Outcomes.." Journal of psychoactive drugs, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2021.1956026
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Co-use of Tobacco Products and Cannabis among Veterans: A Pr..." RTHC-03844. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/fitzke-2022-couse-of-tobacco-products
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.