Nearly half of medical cannabis patients who used tobacco reported reducing or quitting

Of 650 current or former tobacco/nicotine users, 320 (49%) self-reported reductions in use after initiating medical cannabis, with 160 (24.6%) reporting no tobacco/nicotine use in the prior 30 days. Those who specifically intended to use cannabis to quit tobacco had nearly 3 times the odds of reducing use.

An online cross-sectional survey of 2,102 Canadian medical cannabis patients examined demographics, cannabis use patterns, and changes in tobacco/nicotine use before and after medical cannabis initiation. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions assessed associations between key variables and tobacco reduction/cessation.

Tobacco remains the leading preventable cause of death globally. If medical cannabis genuinely helps some people reduce or quit tobacco, it could represent a novel harm reduction strategy, though this study's retrospective design means the association needs further investigation.

The finding that intentional use of cannabis for tobacco cessation predicted greater odds of quitting is intriguing. It also challenges the common assumption that cannabis use necessarily promotes tobacco use.

Cross-sectional retrospective design cannot establish causation. Self-reported data subject to recall bias. No biochemical verification of tobacco cessation. Self-selected medical cannabis patient population. No control group.