10% of Tobacco Stores Also Sold Cannabis Products Across Three US Cities
THC and CBD were each available in about 10% of tobacco retailers in NYC, San Francisco, and Philadelphia, with e-cigarette and cigar stores 2-3x more likely to carry cannabinoids.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
THC and CBD were each available in 9.8% of stores with no significant differences across cities despite different cannabis policies. Stores selling e-cigarettes had 3.2x higher odds of selling THC and 3.0x for CBD. Cigar stores had 2.6x higher odds for THC and 1.8x for CBD. Cigarette-selling stores had lower odds of carrying cannabinoids.
Key Numbers
1,402 tobacco retailers surveyed. THC: 9.8% of stores. CBD: 9.8%. E-cigarette stores: aOR 3.2 for THC, 3.0 for CBD. Cigar stores: aOR 2.6 for THC, 1.8 for CBD. Cigarette stores: aOR 0.5 for THC, 0.4 for CBD. No city differences.
How They Did This
Stratified random sample of 20% of licensed tobacco retailers (n=1,402) across NYC and San Francisco (recreational cannabis legal) and Philadelphia (medical only). In-person visits June-December 2023 documented product availability. Logistic regression analyzed associations.
Why This Research Matters
The convergence of tobacco and cannabis retail creates opportunities for co-use initiation and makes product exposure harder to regulate. The finding that cannabinoid availability was similar regardless of state cannabis policy suggests federal hemp law may be the dominant driver.
The Bigger Picture
The lack of city-level differences despite different cannabis laws suggests the 2018 Farm Bill's hemp legalization may have created a nationwide cannabinoid market that operates through existing tobacco retail channels regardless of state cannabis policy.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional survey at one timepoint. Product availability does not measure actual sales or co-use. Cannot determine if products were legal hemp-derived vs. illicit THC. Three cities may not represent all markets.
Questions This Raises
- ?Does cannabinoid availability in tobacco stores increase co-use initiation?
- ?Are the THC products in these stores legal hemp-derived products or illicit?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Multi-city field survey with adequate sampling and direct observation, but cross-sectional design and three-city scope limit to moderate.
- Study Age:
- Data collected June-December 2023.
- Original Title:
- Concurrent availability of cannabinoid and tobacco products in licensed tobacco retailers in three U.S. cities.
- Published In:
- The International journal on drug policy, 146, 105041 (2025)
- Authors:
- Spillane, Torra E(2), Cohen, Joanna E, Spindle, Tory R(18), Thrul, Johannes, Moran, Meghan, Lee, Hye Myung, Giovenco, Daniel P
- Database ID:
- RTHC-07708
Evidence Hierarchy
Watches what happens naturally without intervening.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Can you buy cannabis at tobacco stores?
About 10% of tobacco retailers in the three cities studied carried THC and/or CBD products, regardless of whether recreational cannabis was legal in that city.
Which tobacco stores are most likely to sell cannabis?
Stores selling e-cigarettes were about 3x more likely to carry cannabinoids, while traditional cigarette-focused stores were less likely to stock them.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-07708APA
Spillane, Torra E; Cohen, Joanna E; Spindle, Tory R; Thrul, Johannes; Moran, Meghan; Lee, Hye Myung; Giovenco, Daniel P. (2025). Concurrent availability of cannabinoid and tobacco products in licensed tobacco retailers in three U.S. cities.. The International journal on drug policy, 146, 105041. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.105041
MLA
Spillane, Torra E, et al. "Concurrent availability of cannabinoid and tobacco products in licensed tobacco retailers in three U.S. cities.." The International journal on drug policy, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.105041
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Concurrent availability of cannabinoid and tobacco products ..." RTHC-07708. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/spillane-2025-concurrent-availability-of-cannabinoid
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.