Cannabis Use Made It Harder for LGBTQ+ Smokers to Quit Cigarettes | Research

The takeaway

Among 205 LGBTQ+ dual smokers attempting to quit cigarettes, those who also used cannabis reduced their cigarette consumption less during quit attempts, especially on days they used cannabis.

LGBTQ+ smokers trying to quit, cessation counselors, and researchers studying substance use disparities.

Cannabis use on a given day was associated with more cigarettes smoked that day

What the researchers found

While all participants reduced cigarette use during a quit attempt, the reduction was smaller among those with current cannabis use compared to non-users. On days when cannabis was used, participants smoked significantly more cigarettes than on non-use days. This pattern held even after controlling for demographics and other substance use.

Why it matters

LGBTQ+ individuals have higher rates of both tobacco and cannabis use and lower cessation success. This study identifies cannabis co-use as a specific barrier to quitting cigarettes in this population, suggesting tailored cessation approaches may be needed.

The numbers in context

205 individuals; 68.3% female sex; same-sex/gender couples; 35 nightly surveys; cannabis use on a given day associated with more cigarettes smoked that day

How the study worked

Longitudinal study of 205 individuals from same-sex/gender couples in California who were willing to make a quit attempt. Participants completed 35 nightly surveys tracking cigarette and cannabis use, with multilevel linear models analyzing relationships.

What this study cannot tell us

Self-reported substance use. California-specific sample. Could not determine whether cannabis directly caused more smoking or both were driven by shared triggers. Sample was primarily female sex.

How to read the evidence

Longitudinal design with daily assessment, but self-reported data and California-specific sample limit generalizability.

When this study was published

Published in 2024.

The bigger picture

This adds to evidence that cannabis and tobacco use are intertwined in ways that complicate cessation efforts. For LGBTQ+ populations already facing disparities in tobacco cessation, addressing cannabis co-use may be essential.

Questions still open

Would incorporating cannabis use reduction into cigarette cessation programs improve outcomes for LGBTQ+ smokers?
Do the same patterns hold for LGBTQ+ individuals using cannabis for therapeutic purposes?

Common questions

Does cannabis use interfere with quitting cigarettes?

In this study of LGBTQ+ smokers, yes. Those who used cannabis reduced their cigarette consumption less during quit attempts.

Why study this in LGBTQ+ populations specifically?

LGBTQ+ individuals have higher rates of both tobacco and cannabis use and lower cessation success, making this an important health disparity to understand.

Read the original research

Effects of cannabis use on cigarette smoking cessation in LGBTQ+ individuals.

Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors, 38(7), 796-804

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Pang, Raina D; Schuler, Lucy A; Blosnich, John R; Allem, Jon-Patrick; Kirkpatrick, Matthew G. (2024). Effects of cannabis use on cigarette smoking cessation in LGBTQ+ individuals.. Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors, 38(7), 796-804. https://doi.org/10.1037/adb0001001