Among people with HIV, those who used cannabis for medical or emotional reasons also used more other substances
In a sample of 333 people living with HIV, those who used cannabis for medical or emotional reasons had higher rates of polysubstance use than those who used recreationally.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Cannabis use was associated with higher use of most other substances. Among regular cannabis users, those motivated by recreational reasons reported lower polysubstance use than those in the medical/emotional motivation group. Mixed-motivation users showed no significant difference from the medical/emotional group.
Key Numbers
78% of the sample currently used cannabis. Three motivation classes emerged: medical/emotional (24.4%), recreational (37.0%), and mixed (38.6%). Recreational users had significantly lower polysubstance use than medical/emotional users (beta = -0.24, 95% CI [-0.47, -0.01]).
How They Did This
Researchers surveyed 333 people with HIV in Florida who reported past-year substance use. Latent class analysis identified three cannabis motivation groups (medical/emotional, recreational, mixed). Polysubstance use was measured as the count of non-cannabis substances used in the past 12 months.
Why This Research Matters
This study challenges the assumption that medical cannabis use is inherently lower-risk. People using cannabis to manage symptoms or emotions may also be managing pain or distress with multiple substances, pointing to a population that could benefit from integrated care.
The Bigger Picture
As medical cannabis programs expand, understanding who uses cannabis and why matters for anticipating broader substance use patterns, especially in populations already navigating complex health conditions.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design cannot establish causation. Self-reported data. Single geographic region (Florida). The sample was drawn from people with HIV, limiting generalizability.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would longitudinal tracking show medical/emotional cannabis users escalating polysubstance use over time?
- ?Could targeted interventions for this subgroup reduce co-occurring substance use?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- beta = -0.24 lower polysubstance use for recreational vs. medical/emotional cannabis users
- Evidence Grade:
- Cross-sectional design with a moderate sample from a single region; latent class analysis provides nuanced subgroup identification but cannot establish causation.
- Study Age:
- 2026 study using data from an ongoing Florida cohort
- Original Title:
- Associations between cannabis use, cannabis use motivations and past year polysubstance use among people living with HIV in Florida.
- Published In:
- AIDS care, 1-14 (2026)
- Authors:
- McNeely, Kayla V, Seegulam, Vijaya L, Cook, Robert L(10), Zhou, Zhi, Wang, Yan, Porges, Eric C, Cohen, Ronald A, Somboonwit, Charurut, Sherbuk, Jacqueline E, Ibanez, Gladys, Chichetto, Natalie E
- Database ID:
- RTHC-08480
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does using cannabis medically lead to using more drugs?
This study found an association, not causation. People using cannabis for medical/emotional reasons may already be managing complex symptoms that drive use of multiple substances.
Were recreational cannabis users at lower risk?
They reported fewer other substances on average, but all groups in the sample had relatively high rates of substance use.
Read More on RethinkTHC
- 420-sober-survival-guide
- CBT-cannabis-recovery
- cannabis-dependence-physical-psychological-addiction-science
- cannabis-perception-vs-evidence-gap
- cannabis-relapse-cycle-pattern
- cannabis-use-disorder-test
- cold-turkey-vs-taper-quit-weed
- cross-addiction-quit-weed-start-drinking
- dating-sober-after-quitting-weed
- exercise-quitting-weed-anxiety-brain
- grieving-quitting-weed-loss
- help-someone-quit-weed
- how-to-quit-weed
- is-weed-addictive
- is-weed-addictive-science
- journaling-weed-withdrawal
- marijuana-anonymous-SMART-recovery-compare
- meditation-mindfulness-weed-withdrawal
- partner-still-smokes-weed
- partner-still-smokes-weed-quitting
- pink-cloud-sobriety-cannabis
- quit-weed-cold-turkey
- quit-weed-or-cut-back-which-is-better
- quit-weed-regret-went-back
- quitting-weed-20s
- quitting-weed-30s
- quitting-weed-after-years
- quitting-weed-and-alcohol
- quitting-weed-during-crisis-divorce-job-loss
- quitting-weed-exercise
- quitting-weed-grief-loss-coping
- quitting-weed-legal-state
- quitting-weed-success-stories
- quitting-weed-triggers-environment
- rehab-for-weed-addiction-necessary
- relapsed-smoking-weed-what-to-do
- relapsed-weed
- should-i-quit-weed
- signs-of-cannabis-use-disorder
- sober-music-festival-concert-without-weed
- supplements-weed-withdrawal
- telling-friends-quitting-weed
- weed-relapse-prevention-plan
- weed-relapse-why-it-happens
- weed-ritual-replacement
- weed-ruined-relationships
- weed-social-media-triggers-quit
- weed-vape-pen-addiction
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-08480APA
McNeely, Kayla V; Seegulam, Vijaya L; Cook, Robert L; Zhou, Zhi; Wang, Yan; Porges, Eric C; Cohen, Ronald A; Somboonwit, Charurut; Sherbuk, Jacqueline E; Ibanez, Gladys; Chichetto, Natalie E. (2026). Associations between cannabis use, cannabis use motivations and past year polysubstance use among people living with HIV in Florida.. AIDS care, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2026.2614344
MLA
McNeely, Kayla V, et al. "Associations between cannabis use, cannabis use motivations and past year polysubstance use among people living with HIV in Florida.." AIDS care, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2026.2614344
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Associations between cannabis use, cannabis use motivations ..." RTHC-08480. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/mcneely-2026-associations-between-cannabis-use
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.