Medical Marijuana Users at Higher Risk for Nicotine Use: Study

According to a recent study, medicinal marijuana users are more likely to consume nicotine products than the general population.

According to a news release from Rutgers University, this study was published in the American Journal of Addiction and is one of the first studies to investigate nicotine use among medical marijuana patients.

Mary Bridgeman, a clinical professor at the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers, stated that there is growing concern over simultaneous use of marijuana and nicotine. While the link between recreational use of marijuana and nicotine has been established, there is little understanding about the use of nicotine among medical marijuana users.

Researchers conducted a survey of 697 patients aged 18 to 89 at a medical cannabis dispensary, inquiring about their use of nicotine and cannabis, how they administer cannabis (smoking, vaping), and their medical conditions for which they use therapeutic cannabis.

They discovered that nearly 40% of medical marijuana users also use nicotine - much higher than the 14% of adult Americans who smoke.

Therapeutic marijuana users who also use e-cigarettes or do not use nicotine at all have about four times the likelihood of using marijuana compared to those who only smoke cigarettes.

The study further revealed that 75% of the respondents reported using marijuana instead of vaping, and approximately 80% of smokers stated they planned to quit smoking in the next six months.

The author of the study, Professor of Psychiatry from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and co-author Mark Steenberg stated, "These findings suggest that while medical marijuana may present health issues associated with combustible products, recommending e-cigarettes over smoking marijuana alone may not have an impact on patients who also smoke.

Steinberg explained, "These individuals are also seeking to quit traditional cigarettes but need to continue consuming nicotine. This fact provides a strong argument for pharmacies to provide tobacco control information at point of sale to encourage smokers to quit." "This strategy could also increase the likelihood of medical marijuana users switching to e-cigarettes, which is a less harmful alternative to smoking.

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