Cannabis and CBD Users Often Use Both for the Same Reasons
In a large European survey, 42% of cannabis users also used CBD, with overlapping motives suggesting CBD could play a harm-reduction role.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Among 35,789 cannabis users, 42.3% also used CBD. CBD co-use was associated with therapeutic cannabis motives. Motive correlation rho=0.49. Four distinct co-user profiles emerged.
Key Numbers
35,789 cannabis users. 42.3% co-used CBD. Motive correlation: rho=0.49 (p<0.001). Four co-user profiles identified.
How They Did This
Third wave of the European Web Survey on Drugs across 30 countries. Multilevel logistic regression, tetrachoric correlations, hierarchical cluster analysis.
Why This Research Matters
If cannabis and CBD users have overlapping motives, CBD could serve as a lower-risk alternative for some use patterns.
The Bigger Picture
The data supports exploring whether guided CBD substitution could reduce cannabis-related harms.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Web survey self-selection bias. Self-reported motives. Cross-sectional. CBD product quality not verified.
Questions This Raises
- ?Could CBD actually substitute for cannabis for some users?
- ?Which profiles benefit most from harm reduction?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 42.3% of cannabis users also used CBD products
- Evidence Grade:
- Large multi-country survey with self-selection bias.
- Study Age:
- 2025 study
- Original Title:
- Relationships Between Motives for Cannabis and Cannabidiol Use in People Who Co-Use: Results From the European Web Survey on Drugs.
- Published In:
- Drug and alcohol review, 44(6), 1666-1679 (2025)
- Authors:
- Fortin, Davide(4), Leroy, Vincent, Carrieri, Patrizia(2), Matias, João, Barré, Tangui
- Database ID:
- RTHC-06478
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Why do cannabis users also use CBD?
CBD co-use was associated with therapeutic-oriented motives for cannabis use.
Could CBD replace cannabis?
The researchers suggest exploring partial substitution since motives overlap and CBD has a safer profile.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-06478APA
Fortin, Davide; Leroy, Vincent; Carrieri, Patrizia; Matias, João; Barré, Tangui. (2025). Relationships Between Motives for Cannabis and Cannabidiol Use in People Who Co-Use: Results From the European Web Survey on Drugs.. Drug and alcohol review, 44(6), 1666-1679. https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.14090
MLA
Fortin, Davide, et al. "Relationships Between Motives for Cannabis and Cannabidiol Use in People Who Co-Use: Results From the European Web Survey on Drugs.." Drug and alcohol review, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.14090
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Relationships Between Motives for Cannabis and Cannabidiol U..." RTHC-06478. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/fortin-2025-relationships-between-motives-for
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.