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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.